The central government has approved the purchase of 238 new air-conditioned local trains for Mumbai. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the decision in Parliament on Wednesday, March 19. He confirmed that the approval was granted after discussions with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
The minister responded to concerns raised by Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad about Mumbai's railway network. She described the local train system as being in a critical state. She asked officials to experience the rush-hour crowd firsthand. She highlighted that 2,697 people have been injured and 2,468 have lost their lives while commuting.
The plan to convert all non-AC local trains to AC was introduced much earlier. However, in August 2022, NCP president Sharad Pawar opposed it and demanded total removal of AC trains. He wanted regular services to continue for working-class commuters.
The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) was initially tasked with upgrading local trains. On May 19, 2023, the Ministry of Railways issued a five-point notice. It directed MRVC to procure 238 Vande Metro (suburban) trains under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) 3 and 3A.
These projects were jointly funded by the central and state governments. The goal is to improve Mumbai’s railway system. The ministry also instructed MRVC to invite bids with a 35-year maintenance plan. It asked Central and Western Railways to provide input on train configurations.
In June 2023, MRVC started the tender process to buy 238 Vande Metro trains. However, the tender was cancelled in July 2023 without explanation. A brief statement only mentioned that the "mega-multi-crore international tender" had been postponed.
Commuter associations have welcomed the latest approval. They believe this will improve travel conditions. However, they emphasise that fare structures must be planned properly.
Mumbai’s AC local trains were introduced on December 25, 2017, under Western Railway. Currently, Mumbai has 109 AC local trains on the Western and Central lines. These trains operate 65 services daily, including 13 new services added to suburban routes.
The ridership of AC trains usually increases during summer months, as passengers prefer to use AC locals during Mumbai heat.
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