Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tip: Mumbaikars tend to navigate by landmarks, not street names (especially new
names), so have some details before heading out.
TRAIN
Mumbai's suburban train network runs from 4am till 1am and has three main lines. The
most useful is the
Western Line
, operating out of Churchgate north to Charni Rd (for Gir-
gaum Chowpatty), Mumbai Central, Mahalaxmi (for the Dhobi Ghat), Vile Parle (for the
domestic airport), Andheri (for the international airport) and Borivali (for Sanjay Gandhi
National Park), among others.
The
Central Line
runs from CST to Byculla (for Veermata Jijabai Bhonsle Udyan,
formerly Victoria Gardens), Dadar and as far as Neral (for Matheran).
From Churchgate, 2nd-/1st-class fares are ?4/45 to Mumbai Central, ?7/80 to Vile
Parle, and ?9/110 to Borivali.
To avoid the queues, buy a
coupon book
(?50), good for use on either train line, then
'validate' the coupons at the machines before boarding.
'Tourist tickets' permit unlimited travel in 2nd/1st class for one (?50/170), three (?90/
330) or five (?105/390) days.
Avoid rush hours when trains are jam-packed; watch your valuables, and gals, stick to
the ladies-only carriages except late at night, when it's more important to avoid empty
cars.
