Mumbai’s suburban railway network recorded a decline of 44.65 lakh passengers during April-June 2026 compared with the corresponding period last year, even as Metro corridors operating along some of the same routes reported substantial ridership.
According to an internal review prepared by Western Railway’s Mumbai Central Division, competition from Metro services may have contributed to the decline, particularly across the Borivali-Dahisar and Andheri stretches. However, the data does not establish that the passengers leaving suburban trains directly shifted to Metro services.
Overall suburban railway ridership fell 1.71%, from 26.04 crore passengers in April-June 2025 to 25.60 crore during the same quarter this year. Second Class travel, which accounts for the majority of suburban journeys, declined 3% to 21.28 crore passengers. First Class ridership dropped 7.23% to 2.54 crore.
Air-conditioned local services, however, recorded strong growth. AC passenger numbers increased nearly 30% to 1.78 crore, representing an increase of about 41 lakh journeys. The rise may partly reflect existing suburban commuters opting for upgraded services.
Metro corridors also recorded significant usage during the quarter. The Red and Yellow lines reportedly registered 2.26 crore rides, while the Aqua Line recorded 1.65 crore. The railway’s review noted that these Metro figures were sourced from media reports rather than directly from Metro authorities.
At individual stations, Andheri saw a 15.02% decline in First Class journey tickets. Mahalaxmi and Prabhadevi recorded some of the largest reductions in passenger numbers. In contrast, Lower Parel registered a 175% increase in AC journey tickets.
Western Railway’s review has recommended expanding AC train services more rapidly, noting that around 45,000 additional passengers are travelling by AC locals each day.
“Passenger data for April to June 2026 reflects changing mobility preferences among Mumbai’s suburban commuters… Western Railway is closely monitoring evolving station-wise and class-wise passenger trends and will continue to optimise its services and resources in line with commuters’ changing requirements,” said Vineet Abhishek, CPRO, Western Railway.
“While the growth in AC local passengers is encouraging, the railways must improve frequency and punctuality to retain and attract more commuters,” said Kailash Verma, Secretary, Passenger Association.
Source: Swarajya
