Lok Sabha Question No. 6164 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-04-01
Subject: Suburban Train Services in Mumbai
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Sanjay Dina Patil, Prof. Varsha Eknath Gaikwad

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6164 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.04.2026

## SUBURBAN TRAIN SERVICES IN MUMBAI

## 6164. SHRI SANJAY DINA PATIL: PROF. VARSHA EKNATH GAIKWAD:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  note  of  plans  to  introduce  about 150-160 additional suburban train services in Mumbai to ease congestion  on  existing  routes  of  the  Central  Railway  and  Western Railway suburban networks and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether  any  assessment  has  been  carried  out  regarding  peak-hour overcrowding  on  major  corridors  including  those  connecting  Mumbai with Thane, Kalyan, Virar and Panvel and the expected impact of the proposed additional services on passenger load and if  so, the  details thereof;
- (c) the details of the routes on which these new services are proposed to be introduced, along with the timeline for their operationalisation; and
- (d) whether the Government is also considering complementary infrastructure upgrades such as additional rakes, signalling improvements and platform capacity expansion to support the proposed increase in suburban services in Mumbai and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND

## ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a)  to  (d)  At  present,  3234 EMU local services including AC EMU services are  operated  by  Western  Railway  and  Central  Railway.  Western  Railway operates 1414 services including  133  AC  services,  while  Central  Railway operates 1820 services including 94 AC services which inter-alia caters the need  of  passengers  of  Mumbai,  Thane,  Kalyan,  Virar  and  Panvel.  To

§

increase  train  handling  capacity  at  various  stations  in  Mumbai  area, following works have been completed/taken up/planned at various stations:

|   SN | Location         | Details                                       |
|------|------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
|    1 | Bandra Terminus  | 3 Pit Lines have been completed               |
|    2 | Mumbai Central   | Platform extension for 24 LHB coaches         |
|    3 | Jogeshwari       | 2 additional platforms                        |
|    4 | Dadar            | 1 additional platform                         |
|    5 | Vasai road       | 6 platforms, 3 pit lines and 5 stabling lines |
|    6 | Panvel-Kalamboli | 5 platforms, 4 pit lines and 2 sick lines     |
|    7 | Kalyan           | 6 platforms and 4 pit lines                   |
|    8 | LTT              | 4 platforms and 2 pit lines                   |
|    9 | Parel            | 6 platforms, 5 pit lines, 6 stabling lines    |
|   10 | Virar            | 25 stabling lines                             |
|   11 | Dahanu road      | 11 stabling lines                             |
|   12 | Mira road        | 25 stabling lines                             |

## Platform length extension:

In addition to above, Platform extension work at 34 stations to accommodate 15 car EMUs have been taken up.

To improve the capacity of rail network in Mumbai suburban area, Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP)-II costing  ₹8,087 crore, MUTP-III  costing ₹10,947 crore and MUTP-IIIA costing ₹33,690 crore have been sanctioned. These projects include following works in Mumbai Suburban Area:

|   SN | Name of project                                         |   Cost (₹ in crore) |
|------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------|
|    1 | 6th Line Mumbai Central-Borivali (30 km)                |                 919 |
|    2 | Extension of Harbour Line Goregaon-Borivali (7 km)      |                 826 |
|    3 | Virar-Dahanu Road 3rd & 4th Line (64 km)                |                3587 |
|    4 | 5th & 6th Line CSTM-Kurla (17.5 km)                     |                 891 |
|    5 | Panvel-Karjat Suburban Corridor (29.6 km)               |                2782 |
|    6 | Airoli-Kalwa (elevated) Suburban Corridor link (3.3 km) |                 476 |
|    7 | 5th & 6th line Borivali-Virar (26 km)                   |                2184 |

|   8 | 4th line between Kalyan-Asangaon (32 km)                                  |   1759 |
|-----|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|
|   9 | 3rd & 4th line between Kalyan-Badlapur (14.05 km)                         |   1510 |
|  10 | Kalyan Yard-Segregation of Main Line & Suburban                           |    866 |
|  11 | Vasai bye pass line (Double line) between Naigaon and Juchandra (5.73 Km) |    176 |
|  12 | 3 rd and 4 th line between Badlapur & Karjat (32.46 km)                   |   1324 |
|  13 | 4 th line between Asangaon & Kasara (34.97 km)                            |    794 |
|  14 | Trespass Control (34 locations)                                           |    551 |

Completion of Railway project/s depends on various factors which include the following:

- Land acquisition by State Government
- Forest clearance
- Shifting of infringing utilities
- Statutory clearances from various authorities
- Geological and topographical conditions of area
- Law and order situation in the area of project site
- Number of working months in a year for particular project site etc.

All these factors affect the completion time of the project/s.

## New generation trains:

To enhance passenger carrying capacity, 238 rakes of 12 cars each with doors  have  been  sanctioned  under  MUTP-III  &  IIIA  at  a  cost  of  ₹19,293 crore. The process for procurement of these rakes has been taken up.

Besides,  introduction  of  train  services  including  EMU  services  on  any route/section, which is an on-going process,  depends on various factors which include:

- Capacity of that section
- Availability of path

- Availability of required rolling stock
- Availability of matching infrastructure for rolling stock
- Maintenance requirement of railway tracks and other assets

Traffic  pattern  of  the  passengers  on  Indian  Railways  is  monitored  on regular basis and to cater to additional demand, load of existing trains are augmented,  new  trains  are  introduced,  frequency  of  existing  trains  is increased etc. subject to operational feasibility.

The steps taken for providing additional rakes over Mumbai Suburban Rail Network are as under:-

- 1) During the year 2025-26, four 12-car rakes of AC EMU (2 each to CR & WR) and one 15-car rake of Non-AC EMU to WR has been received to operate on Mumbai Suburban Rail Network.
- 2) In addition to above, ICF, Chennai has taken up development of two Non-AC EMU rakes with Automatic Doors closure mechanism, to be put in service in Mumbai Suburban Area.
- 3) Procurement of 238 rakes of 12 car under MUTP-III & MUTP-IIIA by MRVC.

## Amrit Bharat Stations:

Ministry  of  Railways  has  launched  Amrit  Bharat  Station  Scheme  for redevelopment of stations with a long-term approach.

The scheme involves preparation of master plans and their implementation in phases to improve the stations. The master planning includes:

- Improvement of access to station and circulating areas
- Integration of station with both sides of city
- Improvement of station building
- Improvement  of  waiting  halls,  toilets,  sitting  arrangement,  water booths

- Provision of wider foot over bridge/air concourse commensurate with passenger traffic
- Provision of lift/escalators/ramp
- Improvement /Provision of platform surface and cover over platforms
- Provision  of  kiosks  for  local  products  through  schemes  like  'One Station One Product'
- Parking areas, Multimodal integration
- Amenities for Divyangjans
- Better passenger information systems
- Provision of executive lounges,  nominated  spaces  for business meetings,  landscaping,  etc.  keeping  in  view  the  necessity  at  each station

The scheme also envisages sustainable and environment friendly solutions, provision of ballastless tracks etc. as per necessity, phasing and feasibility and creation of city centre at the station in the long term.

So  far,  1,338  stations  have  been  identified  for  development  under  this scheme, out of which 132 stations are located in Maharashtra. The names of stations identified for development under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme in Maharashtra are as following:

| State       |   No. of | Name of Stations                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|-------------|----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Maharashtra |      132 | Ahmednagar, Ajni (Nagpur), Akalkot Road, Akola, Akurdi, Amalner, Amgaon, Amravati, Andheri, Badnera, Balharshah, Bandra Terminus, Baramati, Belapur, Bhandara Road, Bhokar, Bhusawal, Borivali, Byculla, Chalisgaon, Chanda Fort, Chandrapur, Charni Road, Chhatrapati |

| Sambhajinagar, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Chinchpokli, Chinchwad, Dadar (CR), Dadar (WR), Dahisar, Daund, Dehu Road, Devlali, Dhamangaon, Dharangaon, Dharashiv, Dharmabad, Dhule, Diva, Dudhani, Gangakher, Godhani, Gondia, Grant Road, Hadapsar, Hatkanangale, Hazur Sahib Nanded, Himayatnagar, Hinganghat, Hingoli Deccan, Igatpuri, Jalgaon, Jalna, Jeur, Jogeshwari, Kalyan Jn, Kamptee, Kandivali, Kanjur Marg, Karad, Katol, Kedgaon, Kinwat, Kopargaon, Kurduwadi Jn, Kurla Jn, Lasalgaon, Latur, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Lonand Jn, Lonavla, Lower Parel, Malad, Malkapur, Manmad Jn, Manwath Road, Marine Lines, Matunga, Miraj Jn, Mudkhed Jn, Mumbai Central, Mumbra, Murtizapur Jn, Nagarsol, Nagpur Jn, Nandgaon, Nandura, Nandurbar, Narkher Jn, Nashik Road, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Itwari Junction, Pachora Jn, Palghar, Pandharpur, Panvel Jn, Parbhani Jn, Parel, Parli Vaijnath, Partur, Phaltan, Prabhadevi, Pulgaon Jn, Pune Jn, Purna Jn, Raver, Rotegaon, Sainagar Shirdi, Sandhurst Road, Sangli, Satara, Savda, Selu, Sewagram, Shahad, Shegaon, Shivaji Nagar Pune, Shri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus Kolhapur, Solapur, Talegaon, Thakurli, Thane, Titvala, Tumsar Road, Umri, Uruli, Vadala Road, Vidyavihar, Vikhroli, Wadsa, Wardha, Washim, Wathar   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

## Completed stations:

Development works at railway stations under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme in Maharashtra have been taken up at a good pace. Till now, works of 19 stations have  been completed.  The name  of  stations completed  in Maharashtra are as following:

| State       |   No. of stations | Name of stations                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|-------------|-------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Maharashtra |                19 | Amgaon, Baramati, Byculla, Chanda Fort, Chinchpokli, Devlali, Dhule, Himayatnagar, Kedgaon, Lasalgaon, Lonand Jn, Matunga, Murtizapur Jn, Nandura, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Itwari Junction, Parel, Savda, Shahad, Vadala Road |

The activities for development at other stations have also been taken up at good pace and progress of some of the stations is as given below:

- Diva station: The works of improvement of station building, circulating  area  and  parking  on  East  side,  new  entry  gate,  platform raising  and  flooring  of  platform  no.  5/6  and  7/8,  platform  shelter  at platform  no.  7/8,  new  toilet  block,  sewage  treatment  plant  on  West side, improvement of Foot Over Bridge at Kalyan end and Mumbai end have  been  completed.  The  work  of  new  6  m  Foot  Over  Bridge  has been taken up.
- Mumbra  station:  The  works  for  improvement  of  platform  surface, seating arrangement, new toilet block, improvement of booking office, circulating  area,  sewage  treatment  plant  and  flooring  of  Foot  Over Bridge have been completed. The work of escalator has been taken up.
- Palghar station: The works of new platform shelter at platform no. 2/3, platform  surfacing,  new  coping  blocks  and  tactile  tile  work at

- platform no. 4 have been completed. The works of utility shifting and 12 m Foot Over Bridge have been taken up.
- Titwala station: The  works  for station building, entrance  gate, platform surfacing, improvement of ticket booking office, toilet block, sewage treatment plant and improvement of two wheeler parking and approach road on East and West side have been completed. The work of new 6 m Foot Over Bridge has been taken up.
- Vikhroli  station:  The  works  for  improvement  of  station  building  on West  side,  platform  surfacing,  platform  shelter,  new  toilet  block  at Mumbai end, improvement of toilet block at Kalyan end and Foot Over Bridge  have  been  completed.  The  works  of  new  booking  office, circulating area on East and West side and parking of East side have been taken up.

Further,  development  /  redevelopment  /  upgradation  /  modernisation  of stations including provision of platform upgradation on Indian Railways is a continuous and ongoing process and works in this regard are undertaken as  per  requirement,  subject  to  inter-se  priority  and  availability  of  funds. Development / redevelopment / upgradation / modernisation of a station is carried out based on category of station/condition/traffic handled etc.

Ministry  of  Railways  has  planned  to  provide  holding  areas  for  crowd management  at  76  stations.  The  passenger  holding area for  crowd management planning envisages a comfortable, well-organized space with basic  amenities  like  seating,  drinking  water,  toilets,  ticketing  facilities, information displays, security checks, etc. These amenities are planned to be  organised  to  manage  large  passenger  footfall  efficiently  during  peak hours.

The passenger holding area established at New Delhi Railway Station has been commissioned and it has significantly helped to ease congestion and

enhance  passenger  convenience,  particularly  during  peak  travel  periods. The  holding  area  is  equipped  with  a  wide  range  of  commuter-friendly facilities,  including  an  increased  number  of  ticket  counters,  Automatic Ticket  Vending  Machine  (ATVMs),  Public  Announcement  System  (PAS), electronic  train  information  display  boards,  CCTV  surveillance,  luggage scanners, Door Frame Metal Detector (DFMDs), uninterrupted power supply, improved  night-time  lighting,  High  Volume  Low  Speed  (HVLS)  fans,  firefighting  system,  lightning  protection  system,  RO  drinking  water,  and separate  toilets  for  men,  women  and  Divyangjans,  along  with  seating arrangements.

The  provision  of  holding  areas  at  other  stations  is  at  various  stages  of planning/execution. Planning is an iterative process requiring optimization and  the  time  frame  and  other  details  for  such  optimization  cannot  be indicated at this stage.

Development  /  Upgradation  of  railway  stations  is  complex  in  nature involving  safety  of  passengers  &  trains  and  requires  various  statutory clearances such as fire clearance, heritage, tree cutting, airport clearance etc. The progress also gets affected due to brownfield related challenges such  as  shifting  of  utilities  (involving  water/sewage  lines,  optical  fibre cables, gas pipe lines, power/signal cables, etc.), infringements, operation of trains without hindering passenger movement, speed restrictions due to works carried out in close proximity of tracks and high voltage power lines, etc. and these factors affect the completion time.

Development  /  Upgradation  /  Modernization  of  stations  including  Amrit Bharat Station Scheme is generally funded under Plan Head-53 'Customer Amenities'. The  details  of  allocation  and  expenditure  under  Plan  Head-53 are  maintained  Zonal  Railway-wise  and  not  work-wise  or  station-wise  or state-wise.  Maharashtra  is  covered  under  the  jurisdiction  of  four  railway

zones, namely, Central Railway, South Central Railway, South East Central Railway  and  Western  Railway.  For  these  zones,  an  allocation  of  ₹  3,834 crore (Revised Estimate) has been made for the financial year 2025-26, out of which an expenditure of ₹ 3,886 crore (up to February, 2026) has been incurred so far.

Strengthening,  upgradation,  modernisation  and  improvement  of  Signalling infrastructure  is  a  continuous  and  ongoing  process  over  Indian  Railways. Indian  Railway  is  continuously  modernizing  current  infrastructure  of  its signalling system as under:

1. Electrical/Electronic Interlocking Systems with centralized operation points and signals in  place of old mechanical signalling have been provided at 6665 stations as on 28.02.2026, out of which Electronic Interlocking have been provided at 3870 stations, including Mumbai Suburban section.
2. Automatic  Block  Signalling  (ABS)  that  enhances  line  capacity within  existing  track  infrastructure  has  been  provided  at  6897 Route km upto 28.02.2026. Automatic signalling works in Diva-Vasai & Panel-Pen sections in Mumbai Suburban are in progress.

*****