After a prolonged two-year delay, Indian Railways has approved the procurement of 238 air-conditioned (AC) local trains for Mumbai — a move set to transform the daily commute for millions of passengers in India’s financial capital.

The announcement came from Satish Kumar, CEO of the Railway Board, who confirmed that tenders will soon be floated under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP-3 & MUTP-3A). The total estimated cost for the procurement stands at ₹19,293 crore, according to Mid-Day.

Project Details and Investment

The MUTP-3 project involves acquiring 47 AC local trains at a cost of ₹3,491 crore, while MUTP-3A will focus on procuring 191 AC trains for ₹15,802 crore.

Initial global tenders for both projects were issued in June 2023 by the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC). However, bureaucratic delays held up the decision to proceed, pushing back the procurement timeline.

According to CNBC-TV18, this development marks a major milestone in addressing the city’s growing demand for more comfortable and efficient local train services.

Expanding Mumbai’s AC Train Network

Currently, Mumbai operates 189 AC local train services daily across its Central and Western Railway lines, catering to over 200,000 passengers each day.

The addition of these new trains will help ease overcrowding, improve comfort, and expand capacity — with plans to upgrade existing 12-car rakes to 15-car units to accommodate even more passengers.

Additional Upgrades and Innovations

Alongside the AC fleet expansion, the Railway Board is also developing two prototypes for non-AC trains with automatic door-closing systems. These are expected to be launched by December 2025 and are currently under development at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai.

In a separate initiative, ₹1,100 crore is being invested to upgrade Nashik’s railway infrastructure in preparation for the 2027 Kumbh Mela. Plans include redeveloping Nashik station and enhancing key regional terminals to manage the expected surge in passenger traffic, OneIndia reported.

This long-awaited approval is a significant step in modernizing Mumbai’s suburban network — promising faster, safer, and more comfortable travel for one of the world’s busiest commuter rail systems.