Finally Mumbai has been gifted with long-awaited AC trains for people to have a chilled ride to work. Initially, for the first week the new locals will carry commuters from Churchgate to Borivali. It is on a trial basis and from January 1 the trains will be fully operational. It will ferry passengers from Churchgate to Virar.
Statement released by the railway reveals the new AC locals will run on the Borivali-Churchgate section under Western Railway.
The AC trains will run on weekdays only. Those will be off the track on Saturdays and Sundays for maintenance purpose. Presently just twelve non-AC trains will be replaced, six up and six down.
Eight of those twelve trains will run as fast locals between Churchgate and Virar with stops at major stations only like Dadar, Bandra, Mumbai Central, Andheri, Borivali, Bhayandar and Vasai Road. Three other fast services will run between Churchgate and Borivali with stops at Mumbai Central, Bandra, Dadar and Andheri. The left one will operate between Mahalaxmi and Borivali as slow service.
The base fare will increase by about 1.3 times compared to the non-AC locals. It will have special weekly and fortnightly season tickets too. Upto Mahalaxmi the weekly pass will cost Rs 285 while passenger needs to pay up to Rs 1,070 till Virar for the same duration. The fortnight ticket starts from Rs 430 and to go up to Rs 1,555.
