Angry Mumbai commuters clashed on Tuesday after trains were delayed during peak office hours for the second consecutive day. Police had to fire a few rounds in the air to control an angry mob.
At Nalasopara station, commuters blocked tracks and damaged property in response to the snapping of an overhead cable for the second day in a row. This time between Borivili and Dahisar stations on the Western Railway line.
Trains coming into the city from the northern most station, Virar, drew to a crawl just as peak hour traffic began to pile up.
The Police had to lathicharge the crowds, also fired four rounds in the air, to disperse the crowds.
Tuesday's outburst was a reminder of the one in February when commuters at Borivali stopped trains when an overhead cable snapped.
Over six million commuters use the Mumbai local trains everyday. Many of them travelling for over two hours to get to their workplace, and when the lifeline crashes so routinely, the outburst is not hard to understand.
In 2008, the railway line between Borivili and Virar was doubled, trains between Churchgate and Virar increased, but all that has done little to assuage the anger of commuters.
