Navi Mumbai | The Kerala Samajam has submitted a petition to the Ulwe node railway authorities demanding to increase local train services to these localities from Ulwe to Uran in Navi Mumbai.

Anil Prakash, a social activist and Samajam office bearer, said that while Ulwe is developing very fast as a township, railway services from Nerul to Kharkopar and Belapur have remained unchanged for the past six years despite the population growth in the region.

Anil Prakash added that if the circumstance of the schedule continues without any amendment, the common man will not be able to avail the train services. Also, they cannot look for other modes of transport other than railways for routine journeys as most of them living in Ulwe are common working class people. 

The main demand of the residents of these locations is to have a train service every 10 minutes from Nerul to Uran, Belapur and back to Uran. 

At the same time, a shared autorickshaw charges between 30 and 50 rupees per person. Often those working in remote places do not get the trains up to 9:30 pm. Bus services are also less in these areas. The demand to increase train services arises due to these reasons. 

Ulwe residents had collected signatures to protest against the railway's neglect of the region, which is in the process of development. 

In order to ease the travel woes of Ulwe residents, the Kerala Samajam submitted a petition with more than a thousand signatures collected from the Ulwe node members and local residents in a meeting with Railway Officers Divisional Railway Manager and Chief Passenger Transportation Manager. Samajam officials said that the railway authorities have promised to study the matter in detail and solve it.