New CST-Panvel Ladies Special Trains

Ladies travelling on the CST-Panvel railway route may now rejoice... perhaps.

On 5th August 2009 at 4 pm (IST), Minister of Railways Mamata Banerjee is to flag off two new ladies special trains in Mumbai. These trains will start plying on the Panvel-CST route from 6th August 2009. While the ladies special train from Panvel to CST will leave at 8:48 am (reaching CST at 10:09 am), the one from CST to Panvel will start at 5:55 pm (reaching Panvel at 7:12 pm). Good move and kudos to the continuously improving railways.

But then I have one query – do we really need these trains to run at the time mentioned above? I regularly travel on the CST-Panvel route. Kurla is a prime station, where many people alight and board the train, generally those who need to change routes. Now, one may notice that the two ladies special trains reach Kurla at 9:38 am and 6:23 pm. I really feel and believe many of you will agree that if the morning ladies special train left some half-an-hour earlier and the evening ladies special train started half-an-hour later, it would have done much good. Come on, how many of us need to reach our morning destination station, say CST, as late as 10:09 in the morning? How many of us leave from office to reach, say CST, at 5:55 in the evening?

I wonder if commuter opinion has been considered before deciding on the timing of these trains. If yes, and if this was the best possible schedule, then great! If not, then will the railways mind taking a quick poll?

In any case, I would like to really thank the railways for being so thoughtful so as to add to the ladies special services.

PS - Will update this blog with the timing of the train reaching every station soon. Do visit again to check out.