Mumbai locals lose 44 lakh passengers as metro expands

Mumbai's suburban railway lost 44.65 lakh passengers in the April-June 2026 quarter, with total ridership falling 1.71%. Metro competition may have contributed to the decline on overlapping routes, although a direct passenger shift cannot be established. At the same time, AC local travel surged nearly 30%, encouraging Western Railway to accelerate AC services as commuter preferences evolve.