Mumbai, May 5 -- The Monday morning rush hour at Virar railway station turned into a scene of intense agitation with around 15-20 commuters staging a "rail roko" protest, sparked by Western Railway's (WR) decision to replace the popular 8:28 am Virar-Churchgate local with an air-conditioned (AC) service, effective May 1. The protest began shortly before the scheduled departure, when angry passengers descended onto the tracks, blocking the path of the incoming train. Chanting slogans against the railway administration, the protesters halted suburban services for nearly 10-12 minutes, causing a ripple effect of delays in the morning peak hours. Commuters were seen arguing that the sudden change is forcing middle-class commuters to commute in costlier AC local trains. "The railways are disconnected from reality. They are already running an AC local at 8:33 am. Two back-to-back AC trains will put unwanted stress and lead to overcrowding in normal trains," said A Parab, a resident of Virar. In a memorandum submitted to the WR authorities, commuters highlighted the unaffordability of AC locals, noting that fares are significantly higher than those for regular second-class and first-class tickets. Also, removing a regular service increases the "crush load" on the remaining non-AC trains, the memorandum said. Gradually, the railway police intervened and removed the crowd from the tracks. WR officials condemned the "illegal" protest and claimed that demand for AC locals is growing. "There are other ways to raise your point. Getting down on the rail tracks is illegal, and we will be taking necessary action against them. Also, demand for AC locals is increasing, so passengers are accepting it," said a WR official. While the protest highlighted the pains of a transitioning network, data from authorities show a shift in commuting patterns over recent years. The average daily passengers in AC locals skyrocketed from 1,954 in 2020, a Covid-affected year, to 63,607 in 2023. "By 2025-26, ridership reached an all-time high of 148,955 passengers daily. This was around 127,570 in 2024-25. Commuters are willing to pay, considering the increasing services and the rising temperatures," said another WR official. However, railway passenger associations said that while the demand for AC locals is certainly increasing, they need to be introduced thoughtfully. "The rail authorities should consult with the passenger associations and public representatives before adding more train services. During peak hours, it's not that everyone can afford to miss a train," said Kailash Verma, member of a rail passenger association....