The Mumbai Suburban Railway, also known as Mumbai Upanagariya Railway in Marathi, is a crucial rail system serving the vast Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Operated by two Indian Railways zones, Western Railways (WR) and Central Railways (CR), it is one of the busiest urban rail networks globally, carrying more than 7.24 million commuters daily.
Spanning 465 kilometers, the railway system runs on a power supply of 1500 V DC or 25000 V AC from overhead catenary lines. The suburban services are powered by electric multiple units (EMUs), with 191 train sets (rakes) of 9-car, 12-car, and 15-car configurations, running a total of 2,342 train services each day and transporting around 6.94 million passengers.
Due to the dispersed nature of Mumbai’s population and its business hubs, the suburban railway has become the city's primary mass transport system. However, with Mumbai’s growing population, overcrowding has become a persistent problem, leading to safety concerns over the years. To alleviate this pressure, metro and monorail networks are being developed in the city to improve travel conditions and reduce the strain on the suburban railway system, but you will always find loacl trains very crowded.
The Mumbai Suburban Railway, along with Indian Railways, traces its origins to the first railway built by the British in India, making it the oldest railway system in Asia. The inaugural train journey took place on April 16, 1853, at 3:35 PM, covering a 34 km distance between Bori Bunder (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) and Thane. The 14-coach train completed the journey in 57 minutes, with a brief stop at Sion to replenish water. Since 1991, the railway system has undergone significant expansion. The Bombay Railway History Group has been dedicated to documenting the rich heritage of this historic line.
