Mumbai, Jan 22: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay is set to release a major research report on Friday titled “Economic and Financial Sustainability of the Suburban Railway System in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR)”, offering a comprehensive assessment of one of the world’s busiest urban rail networks.
The study has been undertaken for the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) and is expected to play a crucial role in shaping future policy, investment decisions and long-term planning for Mumbai’s suburban railway system, often described as the lifeline of the city.
Backbone of urban mobility
Mumbai’s suburban rail network carries over 7–8 million passengers daily and is the backbone of mobility for office-goers, students, industrial workers and informal sector employees across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Despite its indispensable role in the city’s economy, the system faces persistent challenges such as overcrowding, ageing infrastructure, funding gaps and rising operational costs.
Against this backdrop, IIT Bombay’s study aims to answer critical questions about how financially viable and economically sustainable the network is in its current form, and what reforms are needed to ensure its resilience in the decades ahead.
Scope of the IIT Bombay study
According to officials familiar with the report, the 16-paper research examines several broad dimensions. The study evaluates train utilisation, punctuality, asset usage, maintenance practices, staffing patterns and energy consumption. It also looks at bottlenecks in the existing network, including terminal capacity constraints, signalling limitations and turnaround times.
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A detailed analysis has been carried out on fare revenues, non-fare income (such as advertising and property development), operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements.
The report also reviews the long-standing issue of low suburban fares and their impact on the financial health of the rail system.
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