With summer's onset, over 2L passengers board Mumbai's AC Local Trains in a single day

As scorching temperatures grip Mumbai, the demand for air-conditioned train services has surged dramatically, with both Central Railway (CR) and Western Railway (WR) witnessing a remarkable uptick in bookings. Recent data released by the Railways indicates a substantial increase in the sale of season tickets for AC trains, reflecting the city's struggle to cope with the sweltering summer heat.

April 1st marked a remarkable milestone for WR as it witnessed an unprecedented influx of 2.39 lakh passengers on its air-conditioned trains, indicating a clear shift in commuter preferences. Concurrently, CR experienced a significant surge in ticket sales, with nearly 30,000 tickets purchased and over 3,500 season passes secured for AC local trains on the same day.

This surge underscores the escalating demand for cooler commuting options, as evidenced by WR's sale of an average of 1,450 season tickets per day in March—a 2.4-fold increase from the previous month—while CR recorded approximately 950 daily season ticket sales, marking a 2.5-fold rise.

With the summer heat showing no signs of abating, WR plans to bolster its AC train services by acquiring four additional rakes, with the first two slated for inclusion by June 2024. This move aims to accommodate the increasing number of passengers seeking respite from the scorching heat while commuting in Mumbai.

Moreover, the intensifying demand has prompted WR to take proactive measures, including the deployment of all-night ticket checking squads, dubbed the "Batman" squad (Beware Aware TTE Manning Night squad), to combat ticketless travel during nocturnal hours. In a commendable effort, the squad has already apprehended over 2,300 ticketless travelers and collected fines totaling almost INR 6.30 lakhs since its inception on March 11.