The cost of living is also considerably higher in New York. Simple accommodation and monthly groceries alone can can cost more than 2000 dollars a month for a family( And that is if one is living very carefully). And the transport takes 2.5$ per ride ( anywhere), which again is considerably costlier than Mumbai. Cost of living in India is much, much cheaper than the US and suburban transport is even more cheaper here. Considering that the monthly pass for a daily 100km journey ( Church Gate to Virar) costs about 320 Rs for second class ( Hardly 10 Rs for a 100 km journey), there is room for some hike. Obviously, suburban rail is geared towards providing service and not profit-making. So, a very large hike should be protested against. But small hikes on the order of 10-25%, only for the monthly passes should be tried out.