Lifeline-Railways
Mumbai’s local trains are popularly known as the lifeline of the financial capital of India. As an excessively patronised commuting medium, it is important to be well-versed with the intricacies of local railway travel so as to ensure as smooth a journey as possible (and prevent injury in a Virar bound local!). Carrying more than 6.1 million passengers daily, the local train is the fastest mode of transport available to you. At present, 1177 suburban services are in operation in Mumbai, serving 67 railway stations. These stations are situated on the Western, Central and Harbour line. The Western Railway line stretches from Churchgate to Virar, and beyond. Annually, a whopping 900 million people travel from Churchgate to Virar (60 km). Most of the railway stations on the Western line are three to four minutes apart. Slow trains (marked by an ‘S’ on the platform indicator) halt at every station as compared to fast trains (marked by an ‘F’ on the platform indicator) that stop at the major stations.The Central Railway has the longest local rail track in India, spread from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST - formerly known as victoria Terminus - VT) to Thane within Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation limits (BMC), and extends till Karjat beyond it. If you want to make it to the western suburbs from the central line, take a CST train, alight at Dadar, walk across to the Western railway platforms, and board the train going to Churchgate or Borivali/Andheri/Virar depending on your destination. The Harbour line commencing from CST extends till Andheri in the western suburbs.
A Local Train comprises of either 9 or 12 coaches. There are separate compartments reserved only for ladies, the handicapped, and luggage, as well as seats for senior citizens in the general section, which is predominantly a gents’ compartment with entry permitted to ladies as well.
railway time-table
Time -Table may likely to change as per Western Railway