Central Railway logs 1,373 million passengers in FY 2025-26; Mumbai local trains record 127 million commuters in January

Central Railway has recorded an impressive passenger growth in financial year FY 202526 up to January carrying a total of 137339 million passengers mdash marking a steady 186 per cent increase over the 134833 million passengers transported during the same period last yearThe zones suburban network which forms the lifeline of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region continued to dominate ridership Suburban trains carried 120193 million passengers in FY 202526 up from 118792 million in the corresponding period of the previous yearNonsuburban services including MailExpress Passenger and other longdistance trains also saw healthy growth ferrying 17146 million passengers this year compared to 16041 million last yearIn January 2026 alone Central Railway transported 14629 million passengers overall Of theseSuburban segment accounted for 12908 million passengers including 12712 million on the Mumbai Suburban network and 196 million on the Pune Suburban linesNonsuburban trains carried 1720 million passengersKey factors driving the suburban surge include the introduction of additional services on the NerulBelapurUran corridor and the commissioning of two new stations mdash Targhar and Gavan mdash which have boosted patronage on the routeThe recent launch of airconditioned AC local services on the Harbour line has also received an overwhelming response Within just 16 days of operation these AC locals carried more than 6 lakh passengers reflecting strong commuter demand for improved comfort and efficiencyCentral Railway currently operates 1820 suburban services daily including 94 AC local trains to meet the growing travel needs of the Mumbai Metropolitan RegionldquoCentral Railway remains committed to providing safe comfortable economical reliable and efficient transportation to all its passengersrdquo the railway zone stated adding that it continues to strengthen services to match rising commuter expectationsIn a new milestone Western Railway earns Rs 172 crore from movie shoots in financial year 202526Western Railway has achieved a new milestone in nonfare revenue generation by earning a record Rs 172 crore from movie shoots during the financial year 202526 until February 15 This marks a significant 25 per cent increase over the previous best performance of around Rs 164 crore recorded in financial year 202223 positioning Western Railway as one of the top zones in the country for revenue from this innovative segment an official press release statedThe zone has actively promoted its stations trains platforms yards and other premises as shooting locations for movies television serials web series and advertisement films the release addedPermissions have been granted for shoots on MailExpress trains suburban local trains and various railway properties offering filmmakers authentic and dynamic backdropsTo facilitate the film industry Western Railway has streamlined the permission process through a singlewindow system managed by its public relations department Production houses now submit a single application and all the necessary clearances are coordinated internally ensuring approvals are issued in a timebound manner the release added At the same time the railway has maintained strict priority on passenger safety operational efficiency and commuter convenience during shootsA notable first this year was the permission granted for filming inside Indiarsquos modern and premium Vande Bharat train providing the film industry access to worldclass railway infrastructure and underscoring Western Railwayrsquos progressive approachAmong the notable projects shot on Western Railway premises in recent times are films such as O Romeo Fateh Tera Yaar Hoon Main Sikandar