Mumbai’s suburban railway network on Western Railway (WR) is witnessing a curious post-pandemic trend: while daily ridership remains below pre-COVID levels, revenue has not only recovered but surpassed earlier figures — all this because of AC local trains. WR runs as many as 133 AC local trains on its suburban section.

Shift in trend

Addressing a press conference, WR Mumbai Divisional Manager Pankaj Singh said the increase in earnings is due to a change in passenger mix, as more people are now opting for AC Electric Multiple Units (EMUs). Another factor is the post-pandemic travel behaviour. With hybrid work models still in place, the number of daily office commuters — once the bulk of suburban traffic — has not fully rebounded. At the same time, occasional and non-regular travellers are more likely to purchase single tickets instead of heavily subsidised monthly passes, improving per-passenger revenue.