Mumbai: In a move aimed at easing overcrowding on the Central Railway's main line, 22 more suburban services will be upgraded from 12 coaches to 15 coaches from August 15. With three additional coaches added to each train, the carrying capacity of every upgraded service will rise by around 25 per cent. The move will particularly benefit commuters travelling to and from Ambernath, Badlapur, Karjat and Khopoli.
Number Of 15-Coach Local Services To Rise From 32 To 54 On Central Railway
Following the upgrade, the number of 15-coach local services on Central Railway will increase from 32 to 54. Of the 22 upgraded services, 11 will operate during peak hours. The services will include trains on the CSMT-Karjat and Khopoli-Karjat routes. Among the key peak-hour services being upgraded are the 8.27 am Ambernath-CSMT local and the 10 am Khopoli-Karjat local in the morning. In the evening, the 7.42 pm CSMT-Ambernath and 7.50 pm CSMT-Karjat services will also run with 15 coaches.
The introduction of the longer rakes will also lead to some changes in existing services. The Khopoli-Parel services will run up to Dadar, while CSMT-Ambernath services will also operate up to Dadar. However, the overall number of Central Railway's suburban services will remain unchanged at 1,820.
The expansion comes as Central Railway gradually increases the use of 15-coach rakes on its suburban network. The first 15-coach local was introduced on October 16, 2012, with 16 services. Six more services were upgraded in April 2019, taking the total to 22. On July 20, 2026, another 10 services were converted to 15 coaches, taking the number to 32. With the latest 22-service upgrade, more than half of the 15-coach services will now cater to commuters on the main line, providing additional capacity without increasing the overall number of train services.
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