Mumbai
In response to growing demand, Western Railway (WR) has introduced 13 additional air-conditioned (AC) suburban train services starting Wednesday. These new services, which replace existing non-AC trains, will help ease crowding and improve comfort for commuters.
The move increases the number of AC local trains on weekdays from 96 to 109 and from 52 to 65 on weekends. WR’s Chief Spokesperson Vineet Abhishek highlighted that the initiative addresses the rising popularity of AC trains, which were first introduced in 2017.
The new AC rake, which started its maiden service at 12:34 p.m., will operate on key suburban routes, including services from Churchgate to Virar, Bhayander, and Bandra, as well as other routes like Mahalaxmi-Borivali and Borivali-Bhayander. These trains will serve areas across Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar, offering six trains in the up direction (towards Churchgate) and seven in the down direction (from Churchgate).
Currently, around 1.24 lakh commuters, about 4% of WR’s 31 lakh daily riders, opt for the AC trains, making them a significant revenue source. The new rake, built by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, brings the total number of AC trains in the WR fleet to eight.
The government has plans to convert all suburban trains to AC in the coming years, with the Central Railway also operating several AC local trains since 2020.
