Mumbai: All hurdles cleared for 238 AC local trains, says Railway Board chief

(From left) WR GM Vivek Kumar Gupta, Railway Board Chairman and CEO Satish Kumar and CR GM Dharam Veer Meena

Indian Railway Board Chairman and CEO Satish Kumar, during his visit to Mumbai on Monday, announced that all hurdles for the much-awaited 238 AC local trains have been cleared and tenders will be floated soon. In addition, two non-AC local trains with automatic door-closing prototypes are expected to be ready by December 2025.

Kumar also directed Mumbai rail authorities to begin readiness work for 15-car train operations across all stations, stressing on better Metro integration and faster execution of infrastructure projects. He spoke to mid-day's Rajendra B Aklekar on a wide range of issues related to Mumbai's suburban railway system.

Some excerpts from that conversation:

You were in Maharashtra and Mumbai for three days. What did you gather?
The upcoming Nashik Kumbh in 2027 was a key reason. I reviewed preparations and ongoing work. We're investing Rs 1100 crore in upgrading Nashik and nearby stations. We still have two years. I visited a lot of stations. Our main concern is that we have to run more number of trains. And for this, we need infrastructure in place on which we are working on for now.

Do you believe Mumbai needs more and better-equipped terminals?
Absolutely. We're already working on upgrading multiple terminal stations, including Panvel, Bandra Terminus, Dadar, Jogeshwari, and Vasai.

Many projects have been delayed. Isn't there a need to speed things up?
Railway work isn't Greenfield - it's Brownfield. We have to maintain ongoing traffic while continuing construction. There are a lot of challenges, but we're making progress despite these constraints.

What's the current status of the CSMT redevelopment?
The project needs some course correction. I inspected the site this morning for over two hours and issued necessary instructions to improve and accelerate the work.

With several new Metro lines being built, is the railway working on integration?
Yes. We're conducting a comprehensive survey of all railway stations to assess Metro connectivity. For example, the broad elevated deck at Khar station showcases our vision.

But Khar doesn't have any football, shouldn't focus be on busier hubs like Ghatkopar?
We are working on Ghatkopar. One of the three planned concourses is complete, and work on the remaining two is underway. Night shifts are the only option, given operational constraints.

What's the status of the 238 AC local trains for Mumbai?
There's a misconception that the tender is stuck - it's not. All procedural hurdles have been cleared, and the tender will be floated shortly.

What about the plan for non-AC trains with door-closing features, especially after the Mumbra tragedy?
We've taken that seriously. The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai is developing two prototype non-AC local trains with door-closing features. They should be ready by December 2025.

Any other upgrades planned for Mumbai's suburban railway?
Yes, we are planning to augment all 12-car trains to 15-car formations, significantly boosting carrying capacity.