100 New Local Trains in the Pipeline: Central and Western Railways Send Proposal to Railway Board

Mumbai: The Central and Western Railways have written to the Railway Board seeking approval to introduce 100 new non-AC local trains in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The move aims to ensure affordable suburban train services for the common commuter while accommodating growing passenger demand. The total development projects in the region are expected to cost around ₹18,364 crore.

Expanding Capacity for Commuters
Following the completion of multiple ongoing railway projects, the administration is taking steps to maintain cost-effective local services. The plan considers the life expectancy of existing local trains and the expansion of the suburban network under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP).

Greater Mumbai is witnessing the development of 400 km of suburban railway projects, including new lines, doubling, quadrupling, and upgrading of existing tracks. To increase passenger capacity, 12-coach trains will gradually be converted into 15-coach trains. These projects are at various stages of completion and are expected to be finished within four years.

Current Local Train Fleet

• Central Railway: 1,820 trips, 134 trains
• Western Railway: 1,406 trips, 96 trains

General Managers Vivek Kumar Gupta of Central and Western Railways stated that with the expansion of suburban lines, the majority of trains will be 15-coach local trains, necessitating the introduction of a large number of new trains in the near future.

Replacement of Aging Trains
Many current local trains are nearing the end of their service life. To ensure passenger safety, these aging trains will be replaced with new trains. Meanwhile, the Mumbai Railway Development Corporation has already initiated the tender process for 238 AC local trains, with the first expected to start operations by 2030. Therefore, the need for additional non-AC trains remains urgent.

Key Central Railway Projects and Expected Completion

• CSMT–Kurla 5th–6th line: 2019 (Phase 1: Parel–Kurla 10.1 km, Phase 2: Parel–CSMT 7.4 km)
• New Panvel–Karjat suburban line (29.6 km): May 2026
• Kalyan–Asangaon 4th line (32 km): December 2026
• Kalyan–Badlapur 3rd–4th line (14.5 km): December 2026
• Kalyan–Kasara 3rd line (67 km): December 2026
• Badlapur–Karjat 3rd & 4th line (32 km): 2030
• Asangaon–Kasara 4th line (35 km): 2027

Key Western Railway Projects and Expected Completion

• Mumbai Central–Borivali 6th line (30 km): partially completed
• Goregaon–Borivali Harbor extension (7.8 km): December 2028 (Goregaon–Malad: March 2028, Malad–Borivali: December 2028)
• Borivali–Virar 5th & 6th line (26 km): March 2028
• Virar–Dahanu 3rd & 4th line (64 km): December 2026
• Naigaon–Juchandra double line project (6 km): March 2028

With these expansions, Mumbai commuters can expect faster, safer, and more frequent local train services in the coming years, ensuring smoother travel across the metropolitan region.