The queue for taking local train tickets spilled on to the roads.

And when the train arrived at the stations, many passengers boarded it without ticket. There was a mad scramble at every station with men getting into ladies' and first class compartments.

The rail passenger organisations were left fuming. “The Central Railway runs special trains to various places outside Maharashtra, like Agra, Lucknow and Gorakhpur, but they can't run local trains when lakhs of warkaris descend on the city.

This only shows that the railways don’t care for commuters in Pune,” said Harsha Shah, president of Railway Pravasi Sangh.

Gulam Ali Bhaldar, president of the Chinchwad Pravasi Sangh, said the railway officials normally wake up only when accidents occur and people die. “Sometimes even untoward incidents don't move the railways. They are so disconnected from issues such as commuter inconvenience,” said Bhaldar, who is also a Railway Board member.

“The Central Railway officials should have, by themselves, taken the initiative to run special trains today.”