Prateek Tanmay
2 min readJul 15, 2026 01:35 PM IST
The Central Railway has revised its operating guidelines two days after a cooling system failure and locked doors onboard a crowded AC local train trapped passengers and hospitalised one, to allow commuters to disembark at the next station in case of an AC malfunction.
According to the revised guidelines, the passengers will be allowed to deboard at the next station if an AC malfunctions and the rake will be withdrawn from service, and sent for inspection and repairs.
The revised guideline has also been communicated to motormen, according to the Central Railway.
The move comes after the air-conditioning system of an 8.33 am Titwala-CSMT local developed a snag during a 15-minute halt at Platform 2 of Mulund station. At least three commuters complained of breathing issues, with one being rushed to a nearby hospital.
Under normal operating conditions, if the air-conditioning system in one coach fails, it automatically draws power from adjacent coaches. However, the backup mechanism did not function in this case, Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Swapnil Nila informed later.
Although a Train Superintendent and Rolling Stock Technician (TSRT) was present on board, he was unable to access the reset switch due to overcrowding inside the coach, Swapnil Nila said.
The train was subsequently withdrawn from service and sent to the Kurla car shed for inspection and repairs. The cause of the technical failure is being investigated.
Story continues below this ad
The incident brought back memories of a similar episode in 2018 when passengers aboard a Churchgate-bound AC local complained of extreme discomfort after the train’s air-conditioning system developed a technical glitch.
The latest incident, which resulted in hospitalisation of one, has raised concerns over the reliability of Mumbai’s suburban AC local services, particularly during peak-hour rush when overcrowding can make even brief technical failures distressing for commuters.
