Mumbai soon to have 12 air-conditioned local trains

Mumbai, Jan 13:Just a few months after Mumbai's first air-conditioned local train was launched at Chennai's Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, the Railway Board has decided to introduce 12 such AC trains for the city in the years to come.

The decision comes a couple of days after the Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu declared that the first AC coach of the local train would be tested by March this year.The railway authorities have said yesterday that the Railway Board in Delhi has requested the ICF to work on these AC locals, and also on its trials.

A railway official said,"The schedule for building the shell for these AC coaches for suburban EMUs is on time." A 12-coach rake of the AC train is expected to operate o western railways for field trials by March 31.

Prabhu further informed that they were trying to conduct the trials by March. The Railway Board approved the layout and other technicalities and other aspects of the AC train in the first week of March 2014.

The train, expected to cost Rs 43 crore and is likly to have seats similar to the local trains currently in Mumbai and some of the coaches will being connected by vestibules. While rumours are taking rounds that the train would be launched by January 26, permissions are yet to be received from the Commissioner of Railway Safety and the Railway Board.

OneIndia News