Western Railway to start eight more AC local train services in Mumbai from August 8

To make their journey easier and convenient for passengers, Western Railway plans to start eight more services of air-conditioned local trains from August 8. At present, Western Railway runs 40 services on weekdays and 32 on Sundays with four trains.

According to a ToI report quoting a senior official, five rakes more will be introded, which will allow the Western Railway to run eight more services along the line. The new train service will start in the morning peak hour of 7:30am from Virar, and at 9:48am from Borivli. During the evening peak hour, one service will start from Churchgate at 6.35pm. Local railway fares have been decreased by 50% on the local train services, which has led to increase in ridership since May. The minimum fare in AC coach for a 5 km distance is Rs 35, and that for first class it is Rs 25.

The average per day ridership in July jumped to 46,800 from 22,000 in April. In July, the average per train occupancy was 1,515, compared to 1,102 in April.

Meanwhile, another media report has suggested that the city’s railway think tank, the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC), is working on a plan to introduce a 15-car complete AC train. The existing AC local comprises two six-coach vestibuled units coupled together, making a 12-car train. Central Railway at present runs 56 AC services, with four trains in hand.