Mumbai’s wait for a larger fleet of air-conditioned suburban trains is set to be shortened by several years, with the Railways deciding to manufacture the 238 additional AC local rakes approved for the city will now be manufactured simultaneously at three railway production units.
The parallel production strategy is aimed at accelerating the expansion and modernisation of Mumbai’s suburban rail network. Under the revised plan, the first AC rake could be delivered as early as 2027, with the entire fleet of 238 rakes targeted for completion by 2030.
The procurement process for the additional AC rakes had already been initiated. However, a review of the expected timelines with technical partners revealed that the serial delivery of the rakes could take approximately three years.ย Under the earlier timeline, the first rake was expected to be available only by 2030, while the entire fleet could have taken until 2034 to be delivered. Given the crucial role of Mumbai’s suburban railway network, often described as the city’s lifeline, the Railways has now opted for simultaneous production at three facilities to fast-track the deliveries and make the additional AC services available to commuters sooner.
Which railway production units will manufacture 238 AC rakes?
These 238 AC rakes will now be manufactured simultaneously at three railway production units:
- Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai
- Rail Coach Factory (RCF), Kapurthala
- Modern Coach Factory (MCF), Rae Bareli
Work underway to expand Mumbai’s suburban rail network
The government is also working extensively to expand the capacity of Mumbai’s suburban rail network. An investment of approximately Rs 22,000 crore is being made on capacity expansion projects such as new corridors, additional rail lines, platform expansion for 15-coach trains, and yard remodeling.
According to Vilas S Wadekar, Chairman and Managing Director of the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC), the plan is to introduce AC rakes in a coordinated manner with the launch of new corridors, additional rail lines, and other capacity-enhancing projects. The aim is to comprehensively improve Mumbai’s suburban rail services as quickly as possible and provide Mumbaikars with the convenience of AC local trains.
According to MRVC, this strategy of parallel expansion of network capacity and rapid induction of 238 AC rakes will play a vital role in making Mumbai’s suburban rail system safer, more comfortable, and more efficient.
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