Mumbai: Central Railway Adds 10 More 15-Coach Local Trains
Mumbai, 18th July 2026: In a major boost for Mumbai’s suburban rail commuters, Central Railway has announced the introduction of 10 additional 15-coach local train services from Monday, aiming to reduce overcrowding and improve travel during peak hours. The move comes as part of the railway’s ongoing efforts to enhance passenger capacity across one of the country’s busiest suburban rail networks.
To accommodate the additional services, Central Railway has converted one of its existing 12-coach local trains into a 15-coach train, increasing the total number of 15-coach services from 22 to 32.
The railway administration said the expansion is expected to bring considerable relief to lakhs of commuters travelling daily on the CSMT-Kalyan, Kasara, Karjat and Khopoli corridors, where overcrowding remains a persistent challenge, particularly during office hours.
A 15-coach local train has three additional coaches compared to a standard 12-coach train, allowing it to carry nearly 25 per cent more passengers. Each train can accommodate more than 7,500 commuters, significantly improving carrying capacity and reducing pressure on existing services.
Officials stated that the initiative forms part of a phased plan to gradually replace more 12-coach trains with 15-coach services. The expansion is being supported by extensive infrastructure upgrades, including the extension of railway platforms to accommodate longer trains.
As part of this project, Central Railway is extending 50 platforms across 34 stations on its suburban network. Platform extension work has already been completed at Vithalwadi, Ulhasnagar, Ambernath, Karjat and Tanshet stations, while work at the remaining stations is progressing. Once these projects are completed, additional 12-coach trains will be upgraded to 15-coach services.
Senior railway officials said the platform expansion is essential because longer trains require larger platforms to ensure safe boarding and deboarding of passengers. They added that increasing the number of 15-coach services is one of the key measures being adopted to tackle the growing passenger load on the Central Railway network.
The new 15-coach services will operate on the following routes:
Down Services (Towards CSMT):
Ambernath – 9:15 AM
Kalyan – 12:27 PM
Badlapur – 3:03 PM
Kasara – 6:21 PM
Ambernath – 11:08 PM
Up Services (From CSMT):
Ambernath – 7:51 AM
Ambernath – 11:03 AM (converted from a slow service to a fast service)
Kalyan – 1:36 PM
Badlapur – 4:47 PM
Kasara – 8:38 PM
The railway administration believes the introduction of additional 15-coach services will improve operational efficiency while making daily travel safer and more comfortable for passengers.
With Mumbai’s suburban railway system carrying millions of commuters every day, the latest expansion is expected to play a crucial role in easing congestion and enhancing the overall commuting experience. Central Railway has also indicated that more 15-coach services will be introduced in phases as platform extension works at the remaining stations are completed.
