Maharashtra: Bus delayed, commuters block railway track

Palghar (Maharashtra) [India], July 22 : Commuters waiting for a state transport bus staged a protest at Nalasopara railway station on Wednesday after the bus failed to arrive on time for their commute.
Sumit Thakur, chief public relations officer, Western Railway, said that about 200 people arrived on the platform at Nalasopara station around 8.25 am as the state transport bus services were disrupted. They stopped a local train VR -37 at Nalasopara PF-1 from 8.27 hrs to 8.31 hrs, he said. RPF and GRP officials counselled the commuters that special suburban services are being operated only for the staff of essential categories as notified, he said.
According to Western Railways, most of the protesters were employees of private companies who were waiting for the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation bus for their commute.
But due to non-availability of the bus, they came to Nalasopara railway station in Palghar district of Maharashtra and sat on the track, blocking it.
The protesters were demanding that they should be allowed to travel by train as the unavailability of MSRTC buses is a regular occurrence. It may be noted that though the local railway network in Mumbai and adjoining areas has been resumed from June 15, but the railways have allowed only the essential service employees recognised by the Maharashtra government to travel by trains.