Mumbai Suburban Railway to Launch 26 New AC Local Trains on Republic Day 2026

In a significant upgrade to Mumbai's suburban rail network, 26 new air-conditioned (AC) local train services will commence operations from Monday, January 26, 2026. This initiative, timed with Republic Day celebrations, aims to provide a more comfortable and enhanced travel experience for the city's daily commuters. These new AC EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) trains will directly replace existing non-AC services, marking a step forward in modernizing public transport infrastructure.

Distribution Between Central and Western Railway

Of the 26 new AC local trains, Central Railway (CR) will introduce 14 services, while Western Railway (WR) will roll out the remaining 12. Central Railway confirmed the launch in an official statement, noting the services will be effective from January 26, 2026. Meanwhile, Western Railway highlighted a substantial increase in commuter numbers using AC local trains. Vineet Abhishek, Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, emphasized that the additional 12 services are being augmented to benefit passengers and alleviate crowding, replacing existing non-AC 12-car services.

Updated Service Counts on Both Networks

With this expansion, the total number of AC local train services on Central Railway will rise to 94, comprising 80 on the main line and 14 on the Harbour line. Importantly, the overall count of suburban train services on Central Railway will remain unchanged at 1,820. On Western Railway, the introduction of these new trains will bring the total AC local services to 121, while the railway continues to operate 1,406 local train services in total.

Detailed Routes and Timings for New AC Local Trains

Central Railway: CSMT-Panvel Harbour Line

Central Railway's new AC local trains will operate on the CSMT-Panvel Harbour line. Below is the full schedule for these services:

UP Trains (Towards CSMT):

Train 98506: Vashi (04:15) to Vadala Road (04:46)
Train 98020: Panvel (06:17) to CSMT (07:36)
Train 98058: Panvel (09:09) to CSMT (10:30) – Morning Peak
Train 98096: Panvel (12:03) to Vadala Road (13:04)
Train 98128: Panvel (14:31) to CSMT (15:50)
Train 98558: Vashi (16:55) to Vadala Road (17:26)
Train 98184: Panvel (18:37) to CSMT (19:56)

Down Trains (From CSMT):

Train 98009: Vadala Road (05:06) to Panvel (06:08)
Train 98051: CSMT (07:40) to Panvel (09:00)
Train 98089: CSMT (10:34) to Panvel (11:54)
Train 98119: Vadala Road (13:17) to Panvel (14:20)
Train 98533: CSMT (15:54) to Vashi (16:43)
Train 98181: Vadala Road (17:30) to Panvel (18:32) – Evening Peak
Train 98221: CSMT (20:00) to Panvel (21:21) – Evening Peak

Western Railway: Additional 12 AC EMU Services

Western Railway's new services include 6 in the UP direction (towards Churchgate) and 6 in the DOWN direction (from Churchgate). The breakdown is as follows:

UP Trains (Towards Churchgate):

Goregaon (05:14) to Churchgate (06:11) – SLOW
Borivali (07:25) to Churchgate (08:20) – FAST
Virar (10:08) to Churchgate (11:27) – FAST
Bhayandar (12:44) to Churchgate (13:48) – FAST
Virar (15:45) to Churchgate (17:09) – SLOW
Goregaon (19:06) to Churchgate (20:01) – SLOW

Down Trains (From Churchgate):

Churchgate (06:14) to Borivali (07:19) – SLOW
Churchgate (08:27) to Virar (09:51) – FAST
Churchgate (11:30) to Bhayandar (12:31) – FAST
Churchgate (13:52) to Virar (15:36) – SLOW
Churchgate (17:57) to Goregaon (18:51) – SLOW
Churchgate (20:07) to Goregaon (21:02) – SLOW

This expansion reflects ongoing efforts to improve commuter comfort and efficiency in Mumbai's bustling suburban railway system, with both FAST and SLOW services available to cater to diverse passenger needs.