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Central Railway Seeks State Support as Staggered Office Hours Draw Minimal Uptake

Only 46 small firms have adopted staggered start times after CR’s renewed outreach, prompting a formal appeal to the Maharashtra government for broader coordination.

Overview

  • Central Railway’s July 9–10 social media reminder to about 800 Mumbai workplaces secured positive responses from just 46 organisations, all with fewer than 25 employees.
  • The staggered hours proposal, originally sent in November 2023, focuses on peak congestion zones between CSMT and Thane where spatial constraints block new track expansion.
  • CR has formally requested Maharashtra government assistance to align work schedules across larger employers and public institutions citywide.
  • Following an accident near Mumbra in which eight commuters fell from an overcrowded train, the Railway Board approved automatic door closers on all new Mumbai suburban train rakes.
  • Mumbai’s suburban network still handles over 3.5 million daily riders on 1,810 services and recorded 210 overcrowding-related fatalities between January and May 2025.