For many Mumbai residents, commuting is simply part of daily life. But for one employee, the journey to work has turned into a test of endurance. A Reddit user has shared details of a daily commute from Badlapur to Goregaon that takes several hours in both directions. The employee said they wake up at 5 am, leave home at around 6:30 am and reach the office at about 10 am. After completing the workday, the journey back home does not end until around 11 pm. That means the person spends most of the waking day either travelling or working.
The post has triggered a wave of reactions online. While some users sympathised with the employee, others suggested practical alternatives, including finding a cheaper place to stay closer to the office.
The Day Starts At 5 AM
I travel for 6 hours everyday from Badlapur to Goregaon
by
u/underground-chicken in
mumbai
According to the Reddit post, the employee lives in Badlapur and works in Goregaon. The journey involves multiple trains and a shared auto ride. The resident said the day begins at 5 am. He said,
“I am tired of this travelling . I wake up at 5am, leave home around 6:30, board the local train from Badlapur station at 7:15, reach Dadar, board train for Western line.”
The first part of the journey involves taking a local train from Badlapur towards Dadar. From there, the employee changes trains to reach the Western line.
Mumbai‘s suburban railway network is one of the busiest in the country. Millions of passengers rely on local trains every day to travel between residential areas and commercial hubs. For this employee, however, the commute does not end after reaching Goregaon.
The Struggle Continues After Reaching Goregaon
Once the employee reaches Goregaon station, another part of the journey begins. The Reddit user said they have to stand in a queue for a shared rickshaw before finally getting to the office. He said,
“Reach Goregaon station and from there stand in share rickshaw queue for 30 mins everyday and then finally reach the office. I reach the office around 10.”
The additional wait adds another layer of frustration to an already lengthy commute. Instead of stepping off the train and immediately reaching the workplace, the employee has to spend another 30 minutes waiting for transport. The final shared auto ride then takes them to their destination. By the time they reach the office, they have already been travelling for several hours.
The Journey Back Home Ends At 11 PM
The return journey is equally exhausting. The employee said their office day ends at around 7 pm. But getting home takes another four hours.
“I leave office around 7 pm and reach home in Badlapur by 11 pm. This is my daily routine for every day, only on Sundays do I have a holiday.”
That routine leaves very little time for anything else. After reaching home at 11 pm, the employee has to eat, prepare for the next day and get some rest before waking up again at 5 am. The person summed up the impact of the commute bluntly.
“I can’t afford to rent a place there as my salary is only Rs 35,000 monthly. Imagine spending six hours travelling every day. I come to home only to sleep at night.”
The salary is another major factor in the situation. While moving closer to Goregaon could significantly reduce the commute, the employee said accommodation near the workplace is beyond their budget.
Why The Employee Has Not Moved Closer
The Reddit user said they had already explored the possibility of finding a paying guest accommodation near the office. However, with a monthly salary of Rs 35,000, they felt that the available options were not financially viable.
Mumbai’s rental market can vary dramatically depending on the location. Areas closer to major business districts can be significantly more expensive, while cheaper accommodation may require another long commute. That creates a difficult choice for many workers. They can spend more on accommodation to save commuting time or remain farther away and spend several hours travelling every day. For this employee, the second option has become the reality.
Reddit Users Say The Commute Is Actually Longer
As the post gained attention, several users pointed out that the employee’s calculation may actually underestimate the amount of time spent travelling. “Bruh, you travel for 7.5 hours daily, not 6 hours,” said one user.
Based on the timings shared in the post, the employee leaves home around 6:30 am and reaches the office around 10 am. The return journey from 7 pm to 11 pm takes another four hours. That adds up to around 7.5 hours of commuting every working day, depending on the exact timings. For someone working six days a week, that becomes an enormous amount of time spent on the road and public transport. The employee said Sunday is the only weekly holiday.
One User Suggests Moving To Mira Road Or Vasai
Some Reddit users suggested that the employee should consider accommodation farther away from Goregaon instead of trying to live immediately near the office. One person wrote, “Check for PG between Mira Road to Vasai. Your travel time will reduce to an hour max, you’ll save money, and you can go home on Sundays.”
The suggestion is based on finding a middle ground. Instead of paying premium rent close to the workplace, the employee could look for cheaper accommodation in another part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Even if the commute remains 30 to 60 minutes, it could still be substantially shorter than the current journey. It would also allow the employee to return to Badlapur on Sundays without having to give up the entire weekend.
Another user proposed a different approach. “Just a random idea, look for hostels, dorms, cheaper ones like Rs 500 -700 per night, you can book them twice a week, 10 times in a month, out of 25 days, you can travel to Badlapur maybe like 14 days, more balanced daily routine with less rent.”
The suggestion would allow the employee to continue living at home for most of the month while avoiding the longest commute on selected working days. It may not be suitable for everyone. But the idea highlights how commuters sometimes have to find creative solutions when both rent and travel costs are difficult to manage.
Mumbai’s Commute Problem Is Bigger Than One Person
The Reddit post resonated because long commutes are not unusual in Mumbai. The city’s high property prices, limited affordable housing near employment hubs and extensive suburban network mean that many workers live far away from their workplaces. People often choose cheaper accommodation in distant suburbs or remain with their families while working in another part of the city. The trade-off is time.
A job that takes eight or nine hours a day can effectively consume an entire day when several hours of commuting are added. Over weeks and months, the accumulated time becomes significant. In this case, the employee says they spend so little time at home that the house has effectively become a place to sleep before starting the cycle again.
The biggest issue highlighted by the post is not simply the distance between Badlapur and Goregaon. It is the amount of time being lost every day. A long commute can affect sleep, personal time, family life and the ability to pursue activities outside work. It can also make the working week feel considerably longer.
For someone earning Rs 35,000 a month, however, the solution cannot simply be “move closer.” Housing costs need to fit within the salary. That is why the suggestions from Reddit users focused on finding a compromise rather than moving directly to Goregaon.
Conclusion
The Reddit user’s account of travelling from Badlapur to Goregaon has struck a chord with Mumbai commuters who know how exhausting suburban travel can become. The employee wakes up at 5 am, begins the journey shortly after 6:30 am, reaches the office around 10 am and works until 7 pm. The return trip takes another four hours, with the employee reaching home around 11 pm.
What started as a complaint about a tiring commute quickly turned into a discussion about affordable housing, PGs and finding a better balance between rent and travel time. The biggest takeaway from the responses is clear. The employee may not need to live right next to the office. But spending around 7.5 hours travelling every working day is difficult to sustain. For many Mumbai workers, the challenge is not finding a job. It is finding a way to reach that job without spending most of the day getting there.
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