WR to become way ‘cooler’ from Monday

The railway has decided to add 12 new AC services owing to rising demand after reduction in fares

Looking at the popularity and growing demand by the commuters, the Western Railway has decided to increase the number of AC local services over Mumbai Suburban section with effect from May 16. With the introduction of 12 new AC services, the total number of AC services will now increase from 20 to 32 on the WR.

Confirming the same, WR chief PRO Sumit Thakur said that the fares for AC local journey tickets have been substantially reduced with effect from May 5. “With this reduction, there has been a rise in the number of commuters travelling by AC locals. Hence, for the comfort and convenience of the commuters, we will be introducing 12 more AC local services from May 16. Out of the additional 12 services being introduced, we will be running 6 services each on up and down directions,” he said.

The WR operates 20 services, and from Monday it will go up to 32 services. In the up direction, there are five services between Virar and Churchgate, and one between Bhayandar and Churchgate. Similarly in the down direction, there are 4 services between Churchgate and Virar, one each between Churchgate-Bhayandar and Andheri-Virar.

These new AC local services will run from Churchgate to Virar/Bhayandar at 9.27am, 12.34pm, 3.44pm, 6.11pm and 23.23pm. And one on Andheri-Virar route runs at 8.50pm. While five additional AC services will be operated on Virar-Churchgate route in the Up direction at 7.57am, 10.58am, 2.09pm, 7.48pm and 9.48pm. There will be one service at 5.02pm that will run on between Bhayandar-Churchgate.

The decrease in fares of daily journey tickets by up to 50 per cent has had a visibly possible impact on ridership inside AC local trains. The average per day ridership in May has touched 32,000 which used to be 22,000 in April when they sold 1,867 journey tickets, while in May it was almost double at 3,822 tickets.

The Churchgate-Borivali daily journey fare is Rs 95 for AC local as against Rs 180 before April 5. The first class ticket used to cost Rs 150 per ticket, which is now Rs 85. The Central Railway has also increased AC services to 56 from 44 from May 14, and has also withdrawn 16 AC services on Harbour line to Main line. The CR for the first time will run a few AC train services on Sundays and holidays as well.