12 new AC local trains to run on Harbour line from December 1

Central Railways, in a recently released update, shared that a total of 12 air-conditioned local train services will soon be started on Mumbai’s Harbour line. This major development is being planned after 96 years of first launching the EMU train on the line. The new services will begin on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, and will be operational between Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) station and Navi Mumbai’s Vashi and Panvel, which are located on the Harbour line.

The first EMU train was launched in February 1925 which ran between the then named Victoria Terminus and Coorla, now known as CSMT and Kurla. The recent development includes replacing the non-AC train services and introducing them as new AC local train services, which currently only run on Central and Western lines. 

A total of 26 AC local train services are currently operated today, of which 10 are on the central line and 16 between Thane, Vashi and Panvel. On the other hand, eight new AC local train services were added on the Western Railways, which has increased the total count to 20.

As per the announced plan, the local train services will operate for six days in a week, from Monday to Saturday, starting December 1. The first AC local will depart as per schedule, at 4:25 am from Vashi station and will head towards CSMT, while the last AC local will leave CSMT at 8 pm. Remaining services will run between CSMT and Panvel. AC local trains will not operate on Sundays, and as per plans will be replaced by regular trains, on the same schedule. 

Meanwhile, officials have taken a decision keeping the plans shared by Railway Ministry in mind. The future plan includes converting all local trains with AC compartments, however, no concrete plans have been announced yet.

On the other hand, services connecting WR and Harbour lines also saw a change in schedule whereby new services were added between CSMT to Goregaon. With this development, a total of 106 run between the locations, and this has helped several passengers who commute to and fro Navi Mumbai from areas in Western parts of Mumbai.