Mumbai: Honey, they’ve shrunk our local trains!

While commuters have been debating fares and the pros and cons of air-conditioned (AC) trains, it has largely gone unnoticed that these trains - with which the entire fleet will be gradually replaced - have dramatically shrunk the capacity of Mumbai locals.

A detailed study has also revealed that there is a difference in the carrying capacity among existing regular non-AC trains on both the city's rail lines. The findings are part of a first-ever official interim report that has been chalked out by a consultant as a part of the proposed strategy to upgrade regular local trains into AC trains in a phased manner over the next few years.

Seat discrepancies

During the research for the report, the consultant calculated the number of seats that existing local trains - AC and non-AC - have. It has been revealed that the capacity of AC trains is comparatively lesser than their regular counterparts. Moreover, it has also been revealed that different types of regular non-AC trains in Mumbai have different capacities on different railways.

AC train commuters at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus on September 21. File Pic/Ashish Raje

On Central Railway (CR), there are three variants of regular non-AC trains: Siemens, Medha and Bombardier with the former having more seats (1,174) than the other two, which both have 1,168 seats. The existing AC local train variant of BHEL has a seating of 1,028 passengers, which means about 140 passengers less as compared to a non-AC train. One train conducts 13-14 trips on an average per day, with the total number of daily services on CR being 1,810, including 66 AC services (trips). With about 142 seats less in the train for every single trip, the capacity would be reduced by nearly 2.5 lakh commuters after all trains are upgraded to AC.

WR woes

On Western Railway (WR), there are also three variants of non-AC trains - Siemens, Medha and Bombardier - which can accommodate 1,174, 1,116 and 1,170 passengers respectively. The AC local trains here come in two variants - BHEL and Medha - with the former and latter having a seating capacity of 1,028 passengers and 1,118 respectively. The total number of daily services (trips) on WR is 1,394, including 96 AC ones. With about 142 seats less in the train for every single trip, the capacity would be reduced by nearly two lakh commuters after all trains upgraded to AC.

A detailed study has found that regular trains have substantially more seating capacity than their non-AC counterparts. Representation Pic/Satej Shinde

Significance of findings

This means that the existing AC trains have lower seating capacity than regular ones in an era when crowd-buster trains are the need of the hour. Interestingly, while planning for capacity and seating, the interim report has taken 1,028 as the default total seating for the new proposed AC locals, which means less than the existing non-AC trains. This has led to concerns as it could lead to more crowding, shrinking the overall capacity.

Expert Speak

"I will say Railways should start AC trains with maximum capacity. The existing eight-car series (Medha) of AC trains have more capacity than the older seven series (BHEL). In the future, the Railways should settle for maximum-capacity trains," said former Western Railway Mumbai Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee Member Rajiv Singhal.

Shailesh Goyal, a former member, National Railway Users Consultative Committee, suggested that new AC trains should have Metro-type seating. "Commuters in Mumbai do not bother about seats. The train should have more carrying capacity. A Metro-type arrangement should suit one and all," he said.

A V Shenoy, senior transport expert with Mumbai Mobility Forum & Mumbai Vikas Samiti, on the other hand, said, "I don't think Metro-type seating will help. The Railways should make space for more seating. When passengers pay so much for an AC commute, one expects a comfortable journey. The suburban travel distances are long and hence travel time is more. Railways need to provide more sitting accommodation. For Metros, the travel distance and time are short. Hence, passengers do not mind standing."

Taking about the lower capacity of AC locals, Jagdeep Desai, an architect, academician and founder trustee and chairperson of the Forum for Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai, said, "That is because it probably has some space taken up by electrical and air conditioning equipment. There's bound to be some give and take. In the long run, I do not think, this is not a major constraint."

Seating figures

Western Railway
Regular non-AC trains
Types Total seats
Siemens 1,174
Medha 1,166
Bombardier 1,168

AC local train
Type Total seats
BHEL 1,028
Medha 1,118

Central Railway
Regular non-AC trains
Types Total seats
Siemens 1,174
Medha 1,168
Bombardier 1,168

AC local train
Type Total seats
BHEL 1,028

1174
Current capacity of a 12-car non-AC Siemens train

1028
Proposed capacity of a 12-car BHEL AC train