Uran: Local train commuters from Uran, Bamandongri, and Kharkopar plan to organise a protest to demand increase in the frequency of local trains on the Uran-Nerul-Belapur route.

Commuters are demanding that local trains on the Uran-Nerul-Belapur route should operate every 15 minutes, starting from 4:30 am until midnight. Additionally, they are requesting direct services from Uran to CST, Uran to Panvel, Uran to Thane, and Uran to Goregaon.

With one-hour intervals between trains, passengers are forced to wait long at stations. Due to the lack of local train services after 9 PM, passengers returning late from work have no option but to rely on private transport, which leads to additional expenses and security concerns.

The train frequency being less, many commuters are forced to use two-wheelers or private vehicles via the Nerul-JNPT-Uran route, which is extremely dangerous and accident-prone area.

CIDCO has recently allotted more than 5,000 houses in the Bamandongri and Kharkopar areas, leading to a rapid population increase in Ulwe, Bamandongri, and Kharkopar. Ulwe's population has now reached nearly 5 lakhs. According to commuter Ajay Hegadkar, the current train services are insufficient for the growing population.

Passenger Minakshi Hivrayee pointed out that the absence of trains before 5 am and after 10:30 pm makes it difficult for women to reach work or return home safely. As a result, they are forced to use expensive alternatives like rickshaws or buses.

"The one-hour interval between local trains on the Nerul-Belapur-Uran route is causing major inconvenience to office-goers, women, and students. Hence, it is essential to increase the frequency to every 15 minutes. Only then will the common working-class population truly benefit from this local service," Dr Nitin Dighe, a resident of Ulwe, has taken the initiative to unite residents of Uran, Bamandongri, and Kharkopar through WhatsApp groups to press for the demands.