Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliament on Wednesday that the central government has given the green light for the procurement of 238 new air-conditioned local trains for Mumbai, aiming to improve the city's heavily burdened suburban railway network.“I was in Maharashtra, and during discussions with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the improvement of Mumbai local trains, this topic came up. We are glad to announce that the procurement of 238 new local trains has been finally approved,” said Vaishnaw, while responding to concerns raised in the Lok Sabha.
The announcement came in response to a passionate plea by Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad, who represents North Central Mumbai. She highlighted the dire conditions faced by daily commuters, calling the Mumbai local train system — widely regarded as the city's lifeline — to be "on life support." "Come with me to Churchgate station at 7 am. Travel with me from Virar to Churchgate, or from Kalyan to CSMT. Only then will you understand the reality,” Gaikwad said, citing a tragic toll of 2,468 deaths and 2,697 injuries that have occurred while travelling in these overcrowded trains.
The Mumbai Suburban Railway, operated jointly by the Western Railway and Central Railway zones of Indian Railways, serves millions of commuters every day. While there had been a prior plan to phase out non-AC trains and convert the entire fleet into AC locals, the move faced political opposition. In August 2022, NCP chief Sharad Pawar had called for the complete withdrawal of AC services and the return of regular, more affordable trains for the working class, stalling the transition.