Cooler commute: CR to add 14 new AC services soon

MUMBAI: Turns out, Mumbai’s commuters don’t mind shelling out more for a cooler ride. Reflecting their preference for comfort over cost, the Central Railway (CR) will roll out 14 more air-conditioned (AC) services from April 16, replacing the older non-AC ones.

The popularity of AC trains is rising on both the Central and Western suburban railway lines. For the month of March, over last three years, the Central Railway saw a 73% jump in the number of commuters using AC trains, while the Western Railway saw a corresponding 67% increase. In real terms, the numbers rose from 48,989 in March 2022-23 to 84,847 in March 2024-25, for the Central Railway. On the Western Railway, the numbers rose from 90,040 to around 1.63 lakh during the same period.

The Central Railway currently has seven AC trains that operate 66 services daily. The additional 14 services will take the total number of daily AC services to 80. The new services will be added to the CSMT-Thane/Kalyan/Badlapur route – seven each in the Up and Down directions. There will be one each during morning and evening peak hours, while the remaining 12 services will be operated outside peak hours.

“There has been a steady rise in the number of daily commuters travelling in our AC locals. In addition, the summer heat prompted us to take this decision,” said a senior CR official.

The Western Railway too has seen an increase in the number of commuters opting for air-conditioned services. It operates these trains on its Churchgate-Virar route.

“The popularity of AC locals is reflected in the numbers. For instance, we earn ₹47,863 from each AC local service, which is 3.5 times more than the ₹13,548 we earn from each regular local train service. In 2024-25, we have earned around ₹215 crore from AC local trains, which were patronized by 46.5 million commuters,” said a WR official.

Meanwhile, the Western Railway’s Zonal Railway Users Consultative Committee (ZRUCC), an advisory body, has sought the transfer of an AC local train from the Central Railway. “The CR has one AC local rake that is idle. We request them to transfer it to us on priority as there is huge demand,” said Rajiv Singhal, member,

However, the Central Railway said they too have experienced a steady rise in the number of AC services, adding that letting it go doesn’t make sense.