Overview
- Western Railway, which celebrated the service’s 34th anniversary on Tuesday, handed red roses to women commuters on select trains.
- The women-only service was introduced to ease crush-hour crowding and give working women a safer, more comfortable ride on Mumbai’s suburban network.
- The world’s first Ladies Special began on May 5, 1992 between Churchgate and Borivali on the Western line.
- After strong demand, the route was extended to Virar on July 1, 1993 and later expanded into additional peak-hour runs across the corridor.
- Western Railway now operates 10 Ladies Special services daily, split between morning and evening peaks in both directions, which regular riders say has built a sense of community on board.