Central Railway launches modern EMU rake train services

Mumbai, Feb 21 (UNI) The Central Railway has introduced high-tech local trains in the city, which was flagged off by Union Minister of State for Railways Narayan Rathwa, Finance Minister of Maharashtra Jayant Patil and Maharashtra Chief Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh here today.

Speaking after flagging off the train, the Union Minister said the government would increase the facilities in the local trains in the city and would improve train services in the rural areas as demanded by the state government.

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said the State Government was expecting a big boost from the central government in this year's Union budget and funds for the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) phase two and three.

The Central government while removing the hutments near the tracks should take the State Government into confidence and provide for alternate accomodation, Mr Deshmukh added.

He also said the Central Railway would start additional 12 services on Thane-Vashi section, which would increase the suburban services to 78 from 66, and the total services will increase from 1296 to 1308. The State government would soon start sky rail and sea route to ease the traffic on the roads and trains and a proposal for the same has been submitted by the MMRDA under the MUTP phase two and three, he added.

The newly launched local trains that would be put to regular use from tomorrow, were built with the latest technology and have micro-processor based Variable Voltage Variable Frequency (VVVF) control of Inter Gate Bipolar Transistor converters and inverters which would facilitate smooth starting and stopping.

The Central Railway, on the main line would be soon shifting from the existing nine compartment trains to 12 compartment ones, and would introduce 195 modernised trains which will reduce the number of commuters from 5000 to 2,500 in each compartment, which has a capacity to hold 1,700 people.

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