Mumbai’s local train has shown strong numbers during FY 2025–26, with passenger numbers showing steady growth. Central Railway carried 137.34 crore passengers from April 2025 to January 2026. This was a rise of 1.86% compared to 134.83 crore passengers during the same period last year.
The suburban railway remained the main mode of transport in the city despite the Metro lines, bus services, and app-based taxis. On weekdays, Central Railway suburban services alone carried around 62 lakh passengers. When Western Railway numbers were added, daily ridership across Mumbai’s suburban network reached close to one crore passengers.
Suburban services are a big contributor to Central Railway’s entire passenger traffic. During FY 2025–26 so far, 120.19 crore passengers travelled on suburban trains, compared to 118.79 crore the previous year. Non-suburban services, including Mail and Express trains, carried 17.15 crore passengers, up from 16.04 crore during the same period last year. Nearly 90% of Central Railway passengers depended on suburban trains for daily travel.
January 2026 figures clearly showed this trend. Central Railway transported 14.63 crore passengers during the month. Of these, 12.91 crore were suburban commuters. The Mumbai suburban network alone carried 12.71 crore passengers, while Pune suburban services recorded 19.6 lakh passengers. Non-suburban trains carried 1.72 crore passengers in January.
Rapid housing development across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region played a key role in this increase. Mumbai’s suburban train system is among the busiest urban rail networks in the world. It manages extremely heavy passenger loads every day, particularly during peak travel hours.
The reason can be expansion. In recent days, connectivity in Navi Mumbai improved with the commissioning of Targhar and Gavan stations. Additional services were introduced on the Nerul–Belapur–Uran corridor. Air-conditioned local trains on the Harbour Line received a strong response from commuters.
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