Title - Flash strike hits services on Mumbai's busiest local line, thousands left stranded

Suburban services on the Western Railway line in the metropolis were disrupted for few hours on Friday evening after over 200 motormen went on a flash strike demanding better work conditions.

"The agitation was called off today evening," a Western Railway spokesperson said in Mumbai.

The flash strike, which went on for a few hours hitting train services on the Mumbai's busiest local line, was withdrawn after the two sides came to the negotiation table, he said.

Thousands of commuters were stranded at various stations due to the sudden stir.

The Western Line is the busiest of the three local lines in the metropolis and carries on an average over 3.4 million commuters on its 1,250 services on both directions daily. It operates between Churchgate in the south of the city to Virar on the outskirts.

When asked about the demands of the motormen that triggered the flash strike, the spokesperson said they were internal issues.

Railway sources, however, said that the motormen have for long been demanding provision of co-motormen to help them in operations besides addressing several safety issues.

On August 19 last year, the same motormen Mumbai to a standstill after they went on a flash strike demanding that the railway authorities reinstate a colleague who was to be suspended from his duties.

In 2010, they went on strike four times in January, February, May and October. The May 3 strike was carried out by both the Central and Western lines motormen demanding pay hike.