Commuter Trains in Bombay

Bombay is a major communication hub for West India. From its Western and Central Railway terminals leave trains to all points in India. It also has an extensive suburban network of commuter trains.


Ticket queue, Vikhroli station; On and off.

A good network of electric trains is the preferred way to commute in Bombay. Trains run very frequently, although during the monsoon the rains sometimes flood installations and disrupt the service. Each car is divided into two or three disconnected sections, and it is not possible to walk through the train as there are no passages between cars either. Most of the time, such passages would be useless anyway as trains run very crowded... The situation is sometimes better on first class, and/or in the separate ``ladies' only'' areas, but not always. A couple of times I travelled squeezed against the doorframe of a first class compartment; another I sat at the terminus but it took me many minutes to get to the door later, and the (again, first class) compartment was so full that even the overhead luggage racks were completely full of stacked briefcases! Still, my fellow passengers remained very civil and helpful throughout.

Churchgate train station. Entrance to Sandhurst Rd. station. Sandhurst Rd. station.
Western Railway: Churchgate; outside and inside small Sandhurst Rd. station.

Victoria Terminus, Bombay. Commuters at Victoria Terminus.
Central Railway: Victoria Terminus a.k.a. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST).

Platform at V.T. Platform at Victoria Terminus.
Platforms inside Victoria Terminus.

First class, commuter train. Second class, commuter train. Ladies compartment in background.
Photographed empty on a Sunday: 1st class; 2nd class; Separate Ladies 1st class, background.


Rush hour cardgame; station from above and from platform.

Back to Bombay page.
Back to news page.

© Cris 1998-Y2K
updated 1998/12/01