Travel in comfort: Western Railway to increase AC local train services in Mumbai from 109 to 121

In a move aimed at easing commuter congestion and responding to rising passenger demand, Western Railway (WR) will introduce 12 additional air-conditioned local train services across the Mumbai suburban section starting January 26, 2026. With this expansion, the total number of AC local services on the WR network will rise from 109 to 121.

The decision follows a steady increase in the number of commuters opting for AC locals, especially during peak travel hours. The new services will replace existing non-AC 12-car services and will operate on all days of the week, without altering the overall number of local train services on the network.

AC services expanded without increasing total local train count

According to a press release issued by Vineet Abhishek, Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, the expansion is intended to provide greater comfort to passengers while managing crowd density more efficiently. He stated that the total number of suburban services on WR will remain unchanged at 1,406, of which 121 will now be AC local trains.

The additional services are evenly distributed in both travel directions to ensure balanced operations across key suburban corridors. Of the 12 new AC services, six will operate in the UP direction (towards Churchgate) and six in the DOWN direction (away from Churchgate).

New AC locals to cover Virar, Goregaon, Borivali and Bhayandar routes

In the UP direction, two AC services each will run between Virar–Churchgate and Goregaon–Churchgate, while one service each will operate from Borivali–Churchgate and Bhayandar–Churchgate. These include a mix of fast and slow services to cater to varying commuter needs.

Similarly, in the DOWN direction, two AC locals each will operate between Churchgate–Virar and Churchgate–Goregaon, along with one service each between Churchgate–Bhayandar and Churchgate–Borivali.

UP TRAINS

DOWN TRAINS

Railway officials said the move is part of ongoing efforts to modernise Mumbai’s suburban rail system while improving passenger comfort, particularly during extreme weather conditions and peak-hour travel.