Mumbai Local Train News Update: Even as the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government has announced a 5-level unlock plan on Saturday, the Mumbai local train services, which are considered as the lifeline of the city will remain suspended for the general public as of now. Notably, the Chief Minister’s Office today said that lockdown restrictions in Maharashtra will be relaxed on the basis of the COVID-19 positivity rate and availability of oxygen beds in the state and the latest order will be implemented from Monday, June 7.
While there will be no restrictions for districts and cities at ‘Level 1’, with less than 5 per cent weekly positivity rate and less than 25 per cent occupancy rate of oxygen beds, areas falling under ‘Level 2’ like Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Sholapur and Kalyan will have certain relaxations.
As per the government’s order, section 144 and other restrictions will continue in areas under ‘Level 2’ as long the positivity rate is more than 5 per cent. Thus, local train services will continue to remain suspended for the general public and will only operate for people who are associated with the essential services. Meanwhile, cities/ districts in ‘Level 5’ will have stringent near lockdown-like restrictions in place.
Earlier, while speaking to reporters, Relief and rehabilitation minister Vijay Wadettiwar had clearly stated that local train services will be resumed only when the financial capital comes under level 1 ( less than 5 per cent weekly positivity rate and less than 25 per cent occupancy rate of oxygen beds). He had asserted that resumption of suburban services is not possible till June 15.
Local train services had returned to full services for the general public from Feb 2 after a gap of 10 months. Travel by local trains, a lifeline for millions of people living in Mumbai and surrounding satellite towns, was severely restricted after the coronavirus outbreak in March 2020.
However, due to an unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases in the second wave, the Thackeray government decided to bar the general public and reimpose certain curbs on the suburban services. Currently, local train services are operational only for people associated with essential services and those traveling for vaccination or medical purposes.