Archive · 13 Aug 2026
Mumbai's suburban rail fleet to go metro-like by March 2030
Mumbai is one of the biggest cities in India, and lots of people ride its local trains every day.
The leader of the state, Devendra Fadnavis, said the city will get brand-new trains that look and work like metro trains.
These new trains will have air conditioning, automatic doors, and be cleaner and more comfortable.
The first 238 new trains will start arriving in 2027.
By March 2030, all the old local trains will be replaced with the new ones.
The new trains will be built in factories that also build India's famous Vande Bharat trains.
The leader also opened a new metro station in Chembur and a new road bridge called a flyover.
He launched a giant machine that digs tunnels for a new underground road between Thane and Borivali.
This tunnel will be the longest road tunnel in the whole country and will make the trip much shorter.
All these projects are meant to make travel easier and faster for everyone in Mumbai.
CM Devendra Fadnavis said 238 metro-like AC trains are expected from 2027, with the entire Mumbai suburban fleet converted to a metro-like system by March 2030.
The Centre has approved producing suburban trains on the lines of metro trains at facilities that also make Vande Bharat trains, featuring automatic doors, AC and better amenities.
Around 90 lakh passengers currently use Mumbai's suburban rail network daily, while 60-70 km of new metro routes are expected to open this year.
Fadnavis inaugurated the Chembur Metro station and the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road Phase 2, and launched the 'Arjuna' TBM for the Thane-Borivali Twin Tunnel project.
The Thane-Borivali Twin Tunnel, set to be the country's longest underground road tunnel, will cut the distance between Thane and Borivali from 23 km to 11 km, reducing travel time to 12-15 minutes.
- Who
- Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who made the announcement, along with Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
- What
- Announced a metro-style upgrade of Mumbai's suburban rail fleet, including 238 new AC trains from 2027 and full conversion by March 2030, while inaugurating the Chembur Metro station and Santacruz-Chembur Link Road Phase 2 and launching the 'Arjuna' tunnel boring machine.
- When
- August 13, 2026 (Thursday).
- Where
- Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
- Why
- To modernise transport infrastructure, improve connectivity between eastern and western Mumbai, and ease traffic congestion across the city.
- Announcement
- Metro-like conversion of Mumbai's entire suburban rail fleet
- New AC trains
- 238, expected from 2027
- Conversion deadline
- March 2030
- Daily suburban rail passengers
- Around 90 lakh
- New metro routes this year
- 60-70 km expected operational
- Thane-Borivali Twin Tunnel
- Distance cut from 23 km to 11 km; travel time 12-15 minutes; country's longest underground road tunnel
- Chembur Metro Station platform
- 185 metres long; accommodates eight-coach trains
- SCLR Phase 2 final link
- 1.40-km elevated corridor between Bharat Nagar Road and Vakola Junction