Mumbai local mein ‘outside’ chhokri

Mumbai, often rightly called ‘the city of dreams’ or ‘the city that never sleeps’ and even the ‘safe haven’. It has been all of these for me and much more. It is my third year in this city, I am living every day to the fullest. It didn’t take me more than a week to fall in love with this happening and fast paced city. Having lived in small towns all my life, I was surprised to find myself fit into this unknown new place. But then, that’s the beauty of this city, it has a very unique ability to let anyone fit in and be a part of it. Like any other metro city, many people living here are from various parts of the country to either pursue a course or like me enrich their careers (thanks to the amazing professionalism the city offers). This crowded, congested yet lively city is filled with helpful people. Marine drive, street food and Lord Ganesha, these are an important part of everyone’s life here. But the life line of the city, remains its extensive inner suburban lines, a.k.a the Mumbai local trains which serve more than 7.5 million commuters on a daily basis.

I am relatively a newbie to this oldest railway system of Asia. Over the past 8 months I have realized how life (time) saving and pocket friendly this system is. During my first year in the city, I never got a chance to travel in the local train as I just walked down to my work place (that’s something many people here just dream about). But I always wanted to ‘check out’ the local train but was too chicken to try it all by myself especially after having heard horrid stories about how over crowded it usually is. And fact is that people don’t take train rides for pleasure, it is more of a necessity. So, well you can imagine how strange my idea of first date (with a guy) would have sounded (and this is when I was going on a date after 3-4 years) as I asked him if we could go to marine drive in the local train. That’s how I travelled for the first time. He took the liberty to explain about the three lines (corrected life lines): Harbour, Western and Central. He also explained how we have few stations like Dadar, Bandra, Kurla, Vadala Road etc which connect two lines and are hence busier than usual stations. I was really excited getting my long due wish fulfilled as we headed towards Kings Circle station. Little did I know that this would be my daily commute after a few months. It was all set, the tickets were purchased from a kiosk at the entrance and Sunday late afternoon was chosen to be a suitable, less crowded time of the day for me to experience this ride. We boarded the train to Bandra and switched platform to continue our journey on the Western line to head towards Church Gate station. We got good seats and I enjoyed my ride savoring in every moment. I wouldn’t be lying when I say that this was probably the highlight of the date.

Sunrise seen from the train.

Well, few months later, I changed my work place and now I travel every day in the local train. Every day is a different experience. My destination is the beautiful Victorian building, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj terminus (CST). As I travel early morning along the eastern Harbour line, I often witness the sun rising up the horizon and the beautiful colors it spreads. The best view is seen between Dockyard Road station and Sandhurst Road station as there is a building free area where I appreciate the sun rise to it’s glory. The fresh air, the sight of people hustling towards the train during its 10 second stop at each station, the scent of fresh flowers being sold and the trans genders all dressed up ready to collect some change are a usual part of my mornings. I now recognize many familiar faces who probably have been taking the same train for years now. I also can predict the station at which the seller would hop in to sell some goods. Within my few days of travelling by the train, I learnt the “unspoken rules”. I usually travel in second class ladies compartment. So when the train approaches, you gather in a single profile on both sides of the door and wait for the people to disembark the train and then you climb and you climb fast! Usually people are accommodating and helpful but it is not rare to find some characters. There is always a hyper excited aunty who feels it is her birth right to nudge you occasionally. Or you could be stuck next a really obese one who refuses to budge to accommodate you. There are also the ones who believe in over doing with the perfume and you really wonder if it is meant to mask some other unwanted odour. And then my personal favorite are the over indulging ones, who feel it is their duty to accommodate everyone and keep assigning seats to the ones standing.

I realize how every station has an unique character to itself. The first thing noticeable are the beautiful glass paintings through which sun rays filter themselves out giving a rainbow like hue to the platform. The huge clocks both inside and outside are probably as old as the building itself. When I get down at CST, my aim is to escape the dripping water from the baskets full of fish being carried on fishermen’s head. It isn’t easy because they are all over the platform briskly moving towards the exit. The other task is to avoid stepping on the dog who peacefully sleeps in the middle of the crowded platform. In the evening, getting done late from work comes with its pros and cons. The (artificial) thing I love the most are lights and boy you gotta see the CST station lite up at night. It’s one of the most spectacular thing your eyes could witness, making this place my favorite spot in the city.

I have stood at the threshold of the building (selfie point as it is called) and admired this beauty many a times. Every week has a different arrangement of lights with various themes and colors. The tricolor display on Independence and Republic days are a sight for sore eyes. But it takes some courage to enter the heavily stuffed subway, where you would be carried towards the station with the flow of the crowd. I have often run from Saint Xavier’s college along the crowd to catch my train just in nick of time (else, the next one would be after 16 long minutes). This makes me feel like Shahrukh Khan running and catching the train (in my head its way more dramatic than it actually is). I end up giving myself a huge smile of victory despite the accelerated heartbeat. Those 16 minutes saved are a part of my own personal victory.

My other favorite station is the one closest to where I stay, Kings circle station. I wouldn’t be wrong to call it the most colorful and cleanest station that I have been to. It is well connected with a bridge over the main highway with 4 exit points making it accessible from any side of the road. The cartoons painted over the walls and the huge Peepal tree at one of the entrances gives it a unique feel. I have heard that the beauty of art is appreciated no matter where it is displayed. On the inter- platform bridge of Mahim station, I can’t help but pause for few seconds to admire the beautiful mural of a kid playing in the streets. It is atleast 15 feet tall, painted on one side of a building on the south-east side of the station. Similarly, there is a 15 feet tall mural of Mahatma Gandhiji on the outer wall of Churchgate station. Painted by a Brazilian street artist, Eduardo Kobra in 2017, it is larger-than-life and just simply wow. Another beautiful station is the Marine Lines station with the Arabian sea to its west. The sea breeze is hard to miss when I climb on the bridge between the platforms.

Mural seen from Mahim station. Pic courtsey- nimsaw@Insta

Mural on Churchgate station

Most of these stations are quite clean but sadly the tracks between stations are filled with plastic bags and rats. It makes me wonder if that’s where all the trash of the city lies? There is not an inch where people don’t live. It would be hard to tell if the rodent population of the city is indeed higher than the human population. You know you are approaching Bandra station when the foul stench of gutter reaches you. Its only then that you can see the huge boards displaying the latest Netflix sensation. Some of the newly built stations are huge and very clean like Ram Mandir station and some can confuse you with a special passage for just Harbour line platforms as seen at Jogeshwari station.

Well, things haven’t always gone smoothly for me on these tracks. I once mistook Matunga Road station to be same as Matunga station only to realize that the former is on the Western line while the latter is on the Central line and the two are connected by a 2km long ‘Z’ bridge. Took few extra bridges to cross to realize that Harbour platforms switch from first to last after Kings Circle station only to switch back to being first two platforms after Bandra (yes, that is a thing). I often wondered what the big fuss about all the rush in Mumbai local was about, having mostly travelled in ladies compartment of Harbour line and sometimes of Western line. But then I experienced the actual ‘rush’ when I was stamped upon till my feet swelled and I groaned with pain and when I was pushed in and out of the train with the crowd. That was the day I travelled in the Central line in rush hours (and that too to meet a guy – not worth it at all!). I was brave enough to do so once again and so far that has been my last attempt. Even then, the women were helpful in guiding me on when to move towards the exit and how to strategically stand in order to get down (or rather be pushed out) at the desired stop.

But the worst of all was when I went out of my usual travel zone and went to Andheri for a movie. Well I expected to be dropped home as the movie got done quite late at night but I was dropped at Jogeshwari station instead (yes it has to be a guy). That’s when I realized that after 7pm, Harbour line trains do not go beyond Andheri station and I had to change trains from Western to Harbour (at around midnight). That night sitting in the train towards my house, I shed a few tears (not common for me to do so in public or admit of having done so). I still don’t know why exactly, maybe it was the disappointment and anger of being left to go alone at that hour, or the feeling of helplessness or maybe it was just a moment when all of a sudden I felt very alone in this big city. I cannot forget the look on the police officer’s face (yes, we have policemen/ women in ladies compartment during late hours which is very comforting) as he glanced at me silently crying and avoiding his gaze. The only good part was I never felt unsafe.

The train systems are very efficient, not running more than a couple of minutes late. The ticketing counters are manned well and fast and efficient. I finally travelled in a fast train recently but am yet to experience the AC trains which have recently started. Every day is a different experience in the Mumbai local and I enjoy it with my favorite sound tracks playing over the earphones. I have travelled from early mornings to late nights, during light and crowded hours, connecting the various lines and yet I am surprised by something new about the system now and then. I hope to travel to areas further than where I have been to and have more experiences to share soon. I bet I have seen just a small part of this extensive system, after all its just a little me in this huge city. Do share your observations and experiences in the MUMBAI LOCAL 🙂