India, July 19 -- A video of a motorman urinating in the open at Panvel station has done more than spark outrage over civic sense on social media. It has brought into focus a problem that railway unions say has been ignored for years: the lack of toilets for motormen and train managers at several suburban stations across Mumbai.

Days after the incident, the Central Railway Mazdoor Sangh (CRMS) has written to the railway administration demanding toilets and restrooms for running staff at eight key stations, saying employees are being left with little choice during long shifts.

In its July 17 letter, the union said the absence of toilets at crew-changing points and working locations has become a serious welfare issue, forcing railway staf...