Western Railway (WR), Mumbai has announced a 20% increase in the number of summer special trains this year compared to last year. The additional services, totalling 439 summer special trains, are aimed at accommodating the surge in passengers travelling to their native places during the annual summer holidays. This increase is particularly beneficial, given the extended school break and the need for travel related to family functions and festivals. A senior officer from Western Railway highlighted that the completion of the dedicated freight corridor tracks from Rewari in Haryana to Sanjan in Gujarat has facilitated the diversion of freight traffic, thereby decongesting existing tracks. This has created space for more passenger trains to operate efficiently. The official also noted that the dedicated freight corridor is operational only in December and January. The Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, spanning 1,506 kilometres and connecting the JNPT port in Mumbai to Dadri, passes through Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. As of April 2024, 92.7% of the corridor is commissioned, with the remaining stretch between Vaitarna and JNPT expected to be ready by December 2024.
