Central Railway Continues to Replace AC Locals With Non-AC Rakes as Commuters Demand Refunds

Scheduling failures, coupled with deferred maintenance on Mumbai’s Main line, have forced AC pass holders into overcrowded non-AC coaches

Overview

For the second consecutive day, Central Railway substituted 12 scheduled AC local services with non-AC rakes on Mumbai’s Main line, disrupting both morning and evening peak commutes.
Passengers holding costly AC season passes said they were packed into overcrowded non-AC coaches without any refund or alternative AC service.
A brief notice from the Divisional Railway Manager on X offered no explanation or compensation for the sudden service changes.
Commuters and advocacy groups have called for an automatic fare-adjustment mechanism to reimburse the price difference when AC trains are cancelled.
AC ridership on the Main line climbed from 2.09 crore passengers in 2023 to 2.84 crore in 2024, and the 2025–26 Union Budget includes a record Rs 23,778 crore for Maharashtra rail projects to ease overcrowding.