Mumbai’s local trains, known as the 'lifeline of the city', are famous for being overcrowded. Now, a video of a man struggling to get down from a train amid a sea of passengers trying to get on board has gone viral.
The video was shared on X by an account called @gharkekalesh, with the caption "Spirit of Mumbai Kinda Kalesh". It shows the man pushing through the crowd, which keeps dragging him back in the opposite direction. As a last resort, he begins to hit people in the crowd. He eventually slips and falls on the platform.
The video, shared on August 5, has garnered around 1 million views and about 225 comments.
Notably, a general advisory regarding suburban trains is that passengers should let the people departing get out before they attempt to board the train.
Social media users couldn't hold themselves back from reacting to the video. One user wrote, “I feel you just have to stand there and you will automatically reach your destination...” Another user wrote, "If you visit Mumbai, every local train seems to be like that only. There is nothing to get surprised."
A third user wrote, "The frustrated employee of the year." Another wrote, “Commando training le lar please chala kare Mumbai local train me (One should go through commando training to get on a Mumbai local train).”
Several users noted how the incident occurred in a first-class coach on the train.
"This is first class coach... Imagine the situation in second class...Pity," said one user.
According to the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC), Mumbai’s suburban rail system has a total of 2,813 trains in service operated by Western Railway and Central Railway. It carries over 80 lakh passengers on a weekday, which is likely the highest for any passenger-carrying suburban rail system around the world.
The MRVC reports that, during peak hours, more than 22 lakh passengers travel on Mumbai local.