Central Railway to convert 12 Mumbai local trains into AC services from Monday

Central Railway will upgrade 12 nonairconditioned suburban train services to airconditioned AC services on its Main Line from Monday enhancing the number of comfortable commuting options for daily passengersThe upgradation will increase the total number of AC suburban services on Central Railway CR to 120 including 92 on the Main Line and 28 on the Harbour LineThree peakhour services includedOf the 12 upgraded AC services three will operate during peak hours These include the 646 am TitwalandashCSMT and 916 am GhatkoparndashCSMT morning services along with the 718 pm CSMTndashKalyan evening localThe remaining nine services will operate across nonpeak slots including late morning afternoon evening and night expanding AC travel availability beyond rush hoursMain Line AC services increase to 92With the addition of these trains AC services on the Main Line during weekdays Monday to Friday will rise from 80 to 92 Harbour Line services will continue to operate 28 AC trainsCentral Railway clarified that the total number of suburban services across all lines in the Mumbai Division will remain unchanged at 1820 services on weekdays despite the conversion to AC rakesOfficials said the step is part of ongoing efforts to improve passenger comfort and modernise Mumbairsquos suburban railway network which remains one of the busiest commuter systems in the countryMumbais Harbour Line AC locals see nearly 65 per cent jump in ridership CRMumbairsquos Harbour Line airconditioned AC local services have registered a 65 per cent rise in passenger occupancy reflecting commutersrsquo growing preference for comfortable and premium suburban travel according to Central RailwayThe AC local services on the Harbour Line were introduced on January 26 and have received an encouraging response from commuters since their launchIn view of the rising demand Central Railway introduced 14 additional AC services on the Harbour Line from May 1 With the latest addition the railway network now operates a total of 108 AC suburban services including 80 on the Main Line and 28 on the Harbour LineAccording to the railway authorities occupancy figures recorded substantial growth after the increase in services A comparison between the periods from April 16 to 30 and May 1 to 15 showed a sharp rise in both passenger numbers and revenue earningsThe number of passengers travelling by Harbour Line AC services increased from 234 lakh to 386 lakh registering a growth of 6497 per centRevenue earnings from Harbour Line AC suburban services also rose from Rs 118 crore to Rs 196 crore marking an increase of 6643 per centMeanwhile Central Railwayrsquos Mumbai Division has intensified special ticketchecking drives in AC locals and at railway stations to curb irregular travel and ensure the safety and comfort of bona fide passengersThe railway administration said these drives help detect and penalise passengers travelling without proper tickets and act as a deterrent against ticketless travelldquoThe encouraging passenger response highlights the success of Central Railwayrsquos efforts to provide enhanced comfort and a superior travel experience to suburban commuters while strengthening premium mobility options across Mumbairsquos suburban networkrdquo the release stated