Mumbai Local Train Services News: 12 New Suburban Trains To Run From October 12 – Details Inside

In a move that will bring relief to the 2.9 million commuters who travel along the Western Railway line between Churchgate and Dahanu in Mumbai every day, Western Railway (WR) has announced the addition of 12 new suburban services starting from October 12, reported by Hindustan Times (HT). This increase brings the total number of services on the route to 1,406, and is made possible by the completion of a sixth rail line between Goregaon and Kandivali.

The new services include six trains running in the UP direction (towards Churchgate) and six in the DOWN direction (towards Dahanu). In addition to this, WR has converted ten 12-car trains into 15-car trains, and six services have been extended to provide additional relief to passengers, particularly those travelling from the northernmost suburbs of the city.

Photo Credit: PTI

Vineet Abhishek, chief public relations officer of Western Railway, confirmed the news, saying, "We are all set to introduce the new suburban timetable with effect from 12 October to ensure better passenger convenience and comfort." These changes are expected to greatly benefit the growing number of commuters, especially on the Virar-Dahanu route.

Before the pandemic, 65,000 people used to travel on this route daily. That number has now doubled, with 125,000 to 130,000 passengers currently travelling between Virar and Dahanu every day. In response, WR will add four new services between these two stations to meet the increasing demand.

Another WR official mentioned that the number of 15-car trains will increase from 199 to 209, with these longer trains running as fast services between Churchgate and Virar.

Prathamesh Sawant, a resident of Boisar, expressed his satisfaction with the announcement in HT. "We had been asking for more services between Virar and Dahanu as the trains are often overcrowded during peak hours," he said.

The new services are expected to ease congestion and improve the overall travel experience for many daily commuters along this busy suburban line.