According to historians, the working class, primarily the peasants, from the hinterland started pouring into the city in search of livelihood at mills, dockyards, etc. “Since early 1900s, the railways have not only provided easy transportation of goods, but also job opportunities to migrants,” said G D Patwardhan, a city-based railway historian. He added that with this changing patterns influenced the continuing shift of economic epicenter from the island city to newer areas. Patwardhan said the accessibility that trains provide has been instrumental in changing demography, culture and mostly importantly economy of the financial capital.

Today the city’s bustling suburban rail network begins from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, bifurcates to Karjat, Khopoli and Panvel connecting the hinterland on the Central Railways and links Churchgate to Virar, ferrying over 6.5 million commuters.