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The tracks snake through it and provide the most affordable, comprehensive and convenient system of transport in the city. It is fast and always on time which makes it a favorite for office goers and those who have to meet deadlines.
It is not surprising that the transport system in Mumbai is characterized by trains. The first railway on the Indian sub-continent ran over a stretch of 33.789 kilometer from Bombay to Thane. Today, there are three main track lines, the Harbour line, the Central line and the Western line. These three tracks cover the whole of Mumbai lengthwise, each fanning out to cover the whole city. The Churchgate station is the last stop before the sea from the Western line.
For the Harbour and Central lines the Victoria Terminus is the last stop. The name of the Victoria Terminus station has been changed to the Chattrapati Shivaji Station but local commuters still refer to it as VT. One has to change platforms to change lines and this takes a little bit of practice and time. But there is always some good Samaritan around in Mumbai who will be glad to help the lost passenger and send him the right way.
Rush hour though, is a crowded and better not experienced, but a Mumbaiite seldom misses it. During these hours, the trains are more crowded than the local buses of most cities. Getting on and off is not an act of volition but the will of the crowd. There seems no solution to this problem. If one were to stand a few yards away and watch, the view is of a swarm of heads emerging from the station and moving at great speed towards the bus stop. The swarm is so dense and long that it takes one's breath away.
The scene is oft repeated during peak hours for trains arrive every second minute. Even the occasional commuter cannot complain about the frequency of the trains. During the day too, there are quite a few commuters on these trains but not as many as number at the peak hours.
There is a simple system of buying tickets or passes for the regulars and the cost of these tickets for long distances are minimal. This gives one a chance to travel all across the city without having to empty his pockets.
The trains are classified as fast trains and the regular slower ones. The fast trains stop at very few stations and whiz past the rest to reach the destination whereas the regular trains stop at almost every station on the way.
The trains have handles to catch hold of while standing and this gives the effect of a large bus from within. When empty, these handles sway to the movement of the train and look right out of a movie. When full though, these handles are barely visible as hands of all sizes, shapes and colour cover all the handles in sight.
One of the interesting attractions of train travel in Mumbai is the sight of vendors roaming up and down selling their wares. Young children and even the not so young are seen selling items from hair clips to towels to fruit.
The other attractions are the friends one makes on trains. In Mumbai, one has train friends too, who are people thrown together while on their journey to the workplace. Seeing the same face everyday, people get into the habit of greeting each other and then gradually strike a friendship that might last a lifetime or end the day they stop seeing each other on the train.
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