Mumbai suburban AC train ticket rates slashed by 50%

Union Minister of State for Railways Raosaheb Patil-Danve on Friday announced reduction of fares of AC local trains in Mumbai.

“The existing fare of the AC locals would be reduced by up to 50 per cent. The existing minimum fare of Rs 65 for a distance of 5 km will be reduced to Rs 30,” Patil-Danve said at the inauguration of the restored Byculla railway station.

Maharashtra Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis, who was present at the event, thanked the Railway Ministry. “I am thankful to the Railway Ministry for reducing the AC local train fare by 50%. This will help Mumbaikars a lot,” Fadnavis said and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Patil-Danve.“More and more people would be able to use the AC local trains,” he said, adding this will help increase ridership numbers and better utilisation of the service.

The minister cited that it was a long-pending demand of the public to reduce the fares of air-conditioned local trains in Mumbai and they had received suggestions to reduce the existing fare by at least 20-30 per cent.

Danve, however, did not specify when the revision in fares will come into force.

The announcement is significant as elections to several corporations in the MMR including Mumbai, Thane, Mira-Bhayander, Vasai-Virar, Kalyan-Dombivli, Navi Mumbai would be held in the months to come.

The Central Railway (CR) and Western Railway (WR), jointly considered the lifeline of Mumbai, runs around 80 local train services throughout the day in the Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR).

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