36 lakh using local trains daily in Mumbai since Feb 1

Some 36 lakh commuters are using Mumbai's suburban train network every day after its services were thrown open to the general public with restricted timings on February 1 amid the coronavirus outbreak, officials said on Tuesday.

The daily suburban train ridership comprises 19.30 lakh people on Central Railway and 16.50 lakh on Western Railway, they informed.

Since February 1, CR has fined 2,060 passengers a cumulative sum of 1.21 lakh for not wearing masks while the figure of those penalised on WR was 2,558 and the amount was Rs 3.21 lakh, the official said.

"We just assisted the BMC in taking action against those traveling without masks," said CR CPRO Shivaji Sutar.

Train services for the general public with restricted timings started on February 1 after a gap of 320 days, having been stopped in March 22 last year as the nation went into lockdown to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

From June, 15, it was thrown open for frontline and essential staff engaged in the fight against the outbreak.