NEW DELHI: Call it due to emerging traffic congestions or the urgency to reach the working places on time, the people living in the country’s three metro cities-Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, massively prefer to take suburban train services over other modes of road communication.
As per the data recently shared in the Rajya Sabha by railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the highest number of suburban trains (3,075) ran on daily frequency in Mumbai in addition to 624 other passenger train services in 2021-22. The suburban passenger trains ferried about 1,260.40 million passengers, while 624 other passenger train services ferried nearly 169.86 million passengers during the same year in Mumbai.
“Thus, a total number of 1, 430, 26 million passengers were ferried by both the suburban and other passenger rail services in 2021-22 in Mumbai”, the official data adds.
In Kolkata, nearly 665 Suburbans and 429 other passenger trains run on a daily frequency which has ferried about 869.65 million passengers in 2021-22. Thus, a total of 714.35 million passengers preferred the suburban train services in Kolkata by 665 suburban trains, the Railway ministry informed the Upper House in a written reply to a question on suburban railway services that was asked by TMC MP Jawahar Sircar.
Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw further informed that 580 suburban trains run on daily frequency in Chennai-which is the third biggest metro city of India after Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.
“The 580 suburban passenger trains running on dally frequency ferried181.82 million passengers during the financial year of 2021-22 while 324 other passenger trains ferried 157.82 million passengers in the same period in Chennai”, the minister added in the Rajya Sabha –question reply.
In 2021-22, 339.5 million passengers preferred the suburban train services in Chennai.
According to an official date, the Indian railway earned around Rs 736. 28 crore from suburban rail services in 2020-21. The data on earnings from suburban rail services for the period of 2021-22 was not included in the minister’s written reply to the RS MP.
The Minister added that the suburban section of Indian railways witnesses the large movement of passengers during peak rush hours in the morning and evening which results in increased demand for train services.
"To enhance the carrying capacity of the suburban services, Indian Railway(IR), subject to operational feasibility, resource availability etc increase the number of service/coaches as part of a going process", the minister stated in reply.
| Metro Cities | No. of Suburban trains on the daily run in 2021-22 | No. of other passenger trains on the daily run in 2021-22 |
|---|---|---|
| Mumbai | 3075 | 624 |
| Kolkata | 665 | 580 |
| Chennai | 580 | 324 |