Mumbai, March 18 The Western Railway (WR) will convert 16 existing 12-car suburban trains into 15-car services from March 19, in an effort to increase carrying capacity and ease overcrowding on its network in Mumbai, officials said on Wednesday.
This move will increase the total number of 15-car services from 211 to 227.
However, the overall number of suburban services on the network in Mumbai will remain unchanged at 1,414, a WR release said.
Out of the 16 services being converted, eight will operate during peak hours, four each in the morning and evening rush hour, it stated.
The release highlighted that the augmentation was aimed at addressing growing passenger demand by increasing the capacity of trains and improving convenience for daily commuters.
The WR emphasised that this initiative was part of its continued efforts to provide efficient, safe, and passenger-friendly services, further strengthening Mumbai's suburban rail network, often referred to as the city's lifeline.
The WR operates over 1,400 services daily on its suburban network, running from Churchgate in South Mumbai to the Dahanu Road station in Palghar district. Approximately 35 lakh commuters travel daily on this busy suburban network.