Starting October 1, the Mumbai division of Western Railway (WR) will boost its daily train services, adding 12 new trains and upgrading 10 existing services from 12-car to 15-car rakes. This change will raise the total number of daily services from 1,394 to 1,406 and increase the number of 15-car services to 209, up from 199.
New suburban routes, extended services & more
These updates are part of the Indian Railways’ annual timetable revision, typically scheduled for October. This year, WR will focus on suburban services, postponing long-distance train adjustments to January to avoid disrupting passengers. Notable changes include reallocating a rake from the CSMT-Borivali Harbour route to the Churchgate-Virar route.
The new services will include:
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Four routes between Dadar and Virar
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One route between Virar and Churchgate
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Routes extending from Churchgate to Goregaon, Andheri, and Nalasopara
Additionally, 6 services will be extended, and 16 will see operational changes, such as shifts from slow to fast services.
The increase in 15-car trains will bring the total to 209, enhancing overall capacity and service quality. This follows last November’s upgrade of air-conditioned 12-car services and previous increases in service numbers.
WR recovers ₹62.31 crore in ticket fines
In another move, Western Railway (WR) has collected ₹62.31 crore in fines from April to August 2024, targeting ticketless and irregular travel across Mumbai’s suburban and long-distance services. Over ₹20 crore was recovered from the suburban section alone.
In August, WR fined ₹4.96 crore from 1.19 lakh passengers without proper tickets or with unbooked luggage, with ₹2.62 crore from 82,000 cases in the suburban area. To address unauthorised travel in AC local trains, WR conducted surprise checks, penalising nearly 23,800 passengers and collecting ₹78 lakh in fines.
These actions, led by senior commercial officers, aim to improve travel comfort and service for legitimate passengers.
