Mumbai Local Trains To Get Major Upgrade: Railway Minister Announces New-Design Trains And Increased Services

Mumbai’s suburban railway system is set for a significant transformation, with new-design trains featuring enhanced amenities to improve passenger comfort and ease congestion, PTI reported.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw made the announcement during a press conference via video link from New Delhi on Monday (3 January), revealing that railway projects worth Rs 16,400 crore are currently underway on Central Railway and Western Railway lines in the city.

To tackle Mumbai’s notorious railway overcrowding, the government is working to reduce the time gap between two local trains, currently at 180 seconds.

"The gap will be decreased to 150 seconds and eventually to 120 seconds to alleviate overcrowding and increase the frequency of services," Vaishnaw stated.

A new fleet of modern trains is in the pipeline for the Mumbai suburban network, with a detailed plan set to be unveiled soon.

These trains will feature better acceleration, improved ventilation systems with increased oxygen content to counter crowding, and enhanced suspension for a smoother ride.

As part of a broader push to improve Mumbai’s railway infrastructure, nearly 300 additional train services will be introduced, bringing the total daily count from 3,000 to 3,300 once ongoing projects are completed. "Almost 300 km of new tracks will be laid in the city," the minister added.

Vaishnaw also underscored the record-breaking allocation of Rs 23,778 crore for Maharashtra’s railways in the Union Budget 2025-26. "This is 20 times more than the budgetary allocations made under the erstwhile UPA governments," he remarked.

Additionally, Maharashtra has signed a tripartite agreement with the central government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to ensure a steady cash flow for railway projects and expedite their completion.