Coronavirus outbreak: AC local train services to be suspended in Mumbai

Air-conditioned suburban train services in Mumbai will remain suspended from March 20-31 in view of the coronavirus outbreak, officials said. 

Both the Central Railway and Western Railway have decided to suspend the AC services of local trains.

Sixteen services on Central Railway route will remain suspended during the period. 

AC local services on Thane-Vashi-Panvel trans-Harbour corridor will be suspended till March-end, a CR spokesperson said. The CR operates 16 services of AC local on trans- Harbour corridor every day. 

On Western Railway's Churchgate-Virar route, AC locals will remain suspended till further notice. Ordinary train services would replace them, a WR spokesperson said.

The WR operates 12 AC services on Churchgate-Virar route. 

On Wednesday, Railways said it had increased prices of platform ticket from Rs 10 to as much as Rs 50 to deter people from gathering on railways stations amid the coronavirus outbreak.

At Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai, a platform ticket will now cost Rs 50. 

This comes as the number of affected people in Maharashtra reached 49 on Thursday. 

The state government has asked people not to step out of their homes unnecessarily and has taken several measures to avoid large gatherings.