MUMBAI: Two years after tenders to procure air-conditioned (AC) locals were floated and quickly withdrawn (the railways could not furnish cogent reasons for it), the Indian Railways (IR) cleared the decks to procure 238 AC local trains. On Monday, the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Railway Board, Satish Kumar, held a series of meetings with officials from the central railways (CR) and western railways (WR) to chalk out the modalities of the way forward.
Kumar also announced that the prototype of an automatic door closure mechanism in non-AC local trains will be ready by December and made operational gradually.
AC locals for Mumbai
The need for more AC local trains in Mumbai’s suburban network has been gaining traction over a period of time, as it facilitates ease of travel. Elucidating about the present move, Kumar said, “We are planning 238 12-car AC local trains. We have ironed out all the challenges (regarding the tendering process) and will soon call for tenders.” CR presently operates 80 services ferrying an average of 79,000 commuters daily while WR runs 109 services that cater to 1.25 lakh commuters on an average daily.
The move to acquire the AC locals comes on the back of a promise made by union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw earlier this year. It was stuck purportedly following protests by passenger groups against exorbitant ticket pricing.
The project falls under Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP). According to the plan, MUTP-3 aims to procure 47 AC local trains at an estimated cost of ₹3,491 crore, while MUTP-3A envisions 191 trains at ₹15,802 crore. In June 2023, the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) floated global tenders for the project but the decision was deferred, leaving the procurement in limbo.
Meanwhile, Kumar said, automatic closed door non-AC trains will be operational by the end of 2025. The prototype is being manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, and after its success is ascertained, it will be expanded to the rest of the fleet. A CR official told HT that a similar prototype stands in the Kurla car shed, which is also an option.
The railways will also augment the present 12-car trains to 15-car ones in order to accommodate more commuters.
Integrating suburban and metro trains
In Monday’s meeting, the need for multi-modal integration (MMI) was also discussed, in which authorities discussed Khar and Ghatkopar stations. In Khar, for instance, an additional 5000 square meter area has been created through an elevated deck above the platforms where shops and other commercial hubs will be created. Kumar discussed similar large spaces at all railway stations which will merge with respective upcoming metro lines.
“We will carry out a detailed survey of the railway stations where integration with metro rail lines is required. This has already been implemented in a few stations – for instance, at Ghatkopar work on two concourses (to create more entry and exit points between the metro and railway station) are underway, with one being recently completed. Work on the remaining two can be carried out only at night because of passenger movement through the day,” said Kumar.
The survey is likely to include a study of passenger footfall, travel pattern, among other factors. The MMI facilities are implemented within a 500-metre radius of each metro station.
More rail terminuses in MMR
Bearing in mind the 2027 Kumbh Mela in Nashik, IR is planning to roll out extra trains and enhance railway infrastructure. Kumbh preparedness will cost IR ₹1100 crore, most of it going to redevelop Nashik station and others around it. “We have to run more trains, for which it is important to improve rail infra,” added Kumar.
On Monday, rail authorities also highlighted the various stages of progress of new rail terminuses across Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). Kumar charted out the requirement of mega rail terminuses at Jogeshwari, Panvel, Kalyan and Vasai, apart from upgrading the existing ones such as CSMT which is being redeveloped at the cost of ₹2500 crore.
When questioned about the delay in the pace of work, Kumar pointed out that “ongoing works are being carried out at stations and not a greenfield, for which railways have to ensure rail traffic is not disturbed, which makes it challenging”. Kumar added that the work at CSMT will be speeded up.