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Prior to my recent trip to Mumbai, I had heard and seen a lot of stories where people were offboarded at a station they didn’t intend to by the crowd. Hence, I was scared to get on a metro fearing that I’d miss my station because of the crowd. Fortunately, my first Mumbai local train from Bandra to Andheri wasn’t quite like that. Glad that my first Mumbai local train experience was a good one!
If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you know that I’ve been in Mumbai for the last few weeks. I had spent a maximum of 8 hours in Mumbai before this trip. During that trip, things were quite fast and I barely spent time anywhere. So this time around when I was there to board the Cordelia Cruise for the Mumbai High Seas cruise, I decided to stay back in Mumbai.
I realised that I had so many people to meet, places to visit and obviously food to eat, I needed to slow travel in Mumbai and spend some time. So I decided to stay back for a couple of weeks to explore the city.
Moving around Mumbai is easy – only if you know where you are, where you want to go and the mode. From autos to Kaali Peeli, metro to local, there are numerous ways to get around in Mumbai. Mumbai local train is the cheapest and the best.
Bandra To Andheri Mumbai Local Train
Mumbai as a city is rectangular in shape if I can say so. It’s an elongated piece of land surrounded by the Arabian Sea on two sides and mountains and land on the other. The city has got one of the best local train networks compared to any other city in India. Every day millions of people use the Mumbai local to commute. Irrespective of the weather and situation, the Mumbai local train has been there for the people. No wonder it’s the lifeline of Mumbai.
Before you board a local train in Mumbai, you must know the source and destination, the type of local and whether it will go to the destination where you want to go or not. If you are travelling to Mumbai for the first time, then you should read my How To Travel in Mumbai Local Train – For Non-Mumbaikers. Having spent a couple of weeks in Mumbai and using the local train, I’ve written this guide based on my experience. I’m sure you’ll find it helpful.
Going from Bandra to Andheri on a local train is quite easy. Trains run at a frequency of a few minutes. So if you are on a leisure trip or just exploring the city you can take on based on your preference. The distance from Bandra to Andheri is about 13 km, the ticket price is Rs 5 and the travel time is about 15 minutes on a slow local train.
One can purchase the tickets from the counter, use the Automated Ticket Vending machines or book Mumbai local train tickets online too. I chose to book it via the vending machine at Bandra terminus. I paid Rs 10 for the return ticket and was all set to experience my first Mumbai local train from Bandra to Andheri.
My First Mumbai Local Train Experience
It was around 6 PM when I reached the station. I was overwhelmed looking at the crowd itself on the foot over bridge. Franky, I did feel a bit scared just looking at the crowd. The display board were quite confusing (not anymore) and I had to ask a couple of people before reaching the platform. Finally, I was at the platform, standing between a huge crowd waiting to board the train.
I knew that getting on the train wasn’t tough, getting out surely was. Within a few minutes, the train arrived and I was on the train in a jiffy. Like the Delhi Metro, the sides of the platforms are fixed. So people stand at the doors based on the station they want to get down at.
Since I wasn’t aware of it, I stood in the middle. I was surrounded by seasoned pros of the Mumbai local train. Some are busy discussing the markets while others listen to music. Everyone was chilled except me. I’m so glad that the local train has an announcement and display board.
While there’s no map like on the metro train, the display board and the announcements do help. I was constantly looking at the board waiting for it to flash Andheri. In a few mins time, it read Andheri and I quickly made my way through the crowd to get to the gate as soon as possible.
As the station approached, the seasoned pros arrived at the gate. They knew exactly when to get down and how to find their way. The speed of the train slowed down a little and the seasoned folks were already on the platform. I was still waiting for the train to come to a complete stop. A few folks hung to the door giving way to the passengers. I just followed the crowd, and thanks to a gentle push, I was safely down on the platform. Phew! Quite a ride for a first time experience.
Wish every city had a local like Mumbai Local
I got down at the station and headed straight to the nearby shop and bought a glass of Kokum juice. By the time I finished it, another local train went past. I was so relaxed that I had successfully boarded and deboarded the local train. I realised that timing is the key when travelling in Mumbai local train. If you’re on a leisure trip, make sure you time your travel to avoid the crowd.
Ever since my first Mumbai local train ride, I took almost 8-10 rides on the Mumbai local during my stay and I can say that I quite understand how the Mumbai local works. Though I’m still a non-Mumbaikar, I have a fairly good knowledge of Mumbai local train now. So if you’re travelling to Mumbai for the first time and have any queries related to Mumbai locals, feel free to reach out to me.
Drop in your thoughts, or suggestions in the comments below, tweet to me at @Atulmaharaj, DM on Instagram or Get In Touch 🙂
