Mumbai AC Local: Railways changes plan for 238 new trains, first rake by 2027

Sharing a video on social media, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that 238 new AC local trains sanctioned for Mumbai will now be manufactured at three railway production units – Integral Coach Factory (ICF, Chennai), Rail Coach Factory (RCF, Kapurthala) and Modern Coach Factory (MCF, Raebareli). Under the new plan, the first new AC local train is expected to be ready by next year.

“Mumbai’s local trains are the lifeline of the city. The Government of India has sanctioned 238 AC local trains for the Mumbai suburban network. However, the procurement process was facing several challenges, with the entire process expected to continue until 2030. That timeline was not acceptable to us. Therefore, a new decision has been taken to manufacture these AC local trains at three railway production units – ICF, RCF and MCF. This will help ensure that the first new AC local train can be introduced by 2027,” the Union Minister said.

 

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A post shared by Ashwini Vaishnaw (@ashwini.vaishnaw)

Mumbai suburban train service

Currently, 3,234 local train services, including both AC and non-AC trains, are operated by Western Railway and Central Railway to cater to suburban passengers.

Western Railway operates 1,414 services, including 145 AC local services, while Central Railway operates 1,820 services, including 120 AC local services. Of these, 266 are 15-car local services, which provide more seating capacity and a more comfortable journey for passengers.

In a written statement in the Lok Sabha on July 22, 2026, the Railway Minister said that several projects have been sanctioned to improve rail connectivity and increase capacity in Mumbai’s suburban network. These include MUTP-I, costing Rs 4,502 crore; MUTP-II, costing Rs 8,087 crore; MUTP-III, costing Rs 10,947 crore; and MUTP-IIIA, costing Rs 33,690 crore.