When people talk about Mumbai , you cannot forget to to mention the local trains which encompasses stories of the populous Mumbai Middle class, daily local train journeys where strangers become train mates as they travel together daily .
The local train relationships know no bounds as it is between an adolescent and an old man or 2 friends travelling together in the college. Slowly and steadily a group of strangers turn into a train family who see each other everyday and ask about each others well being. The group becomes protective for each other if a stranger comes in and distorts their seating/standing arrangements just like how a regular family protects each other from outsiders
Mumbai is bustling with markets at every popular local station where almost every second shop is selling vada pav and every third shop selling sandwiches which are as dear to mumbaikars as gold is to any south Indian family.
Mumbai ki local trains have become famous because of their overcrowded coaches , as it is shown and branded in various films , documentaries and more often or not Mumbaikars themselves talk about it so often such that Mumbai and overcrowded local trains have become synonymous. Every Mumbaikar must have cribbed about the pathetic state of overcrowding but also accepted it as a part of their life slow and steadily.
Mumbai ki local trains have two distinct phases i.e morning and evening . People start their day early in order to reach office on time and you’ll be surrounded with people greeting each other, asking about their well being, discussing about the rains , cricket etc but fast forward to the evening it is a completely different sight where the 20 meter coach filled with about 50-100 people , some of who’s hearts are still beating extremely fast from their sprint from the gates of the station to catch the train, most of the youngsters are plugged into their earphones, some catching up on their episodes from Netflix or listening to music, a cook of a local restaurant is watching videos on how to make a recipe , a son is finding place for his parents to sit comfortably for the duration of the train etc but astonishingly none of them speak a word to each other, everyone are exhausted from their days work at office and at home. If you’re lucky you’ll find a less crowded coach in the evening and it’ll be a bliss as fast winds gushing by the side due to the trains speed will soften the exhaustion on your body .
This is the Mumbai local train life for over 1 crore lower and middle class population of Mumbai.
