The second air-conditioned local in Mumbai has scored a first. It will be the first ever in Mumbai's network to be equipped with solar panels to power lights and fans in the coaches The train has been allotted to the Western Railway to ease the burden on the existing AC train. There will be trials of the train before it is put into service.

This has been experimented in one coach of the train, and depending on the feedback, the innovation will be extended to other coaches, a Railway spokesperson has been quoted as saying in this paper. Thumbs up to a good, bold initiative. To try it out on one coach and then extend it also shows long-term thinking and a willingness to put yourself out there and experiment. With Mumbai on the cusp of large scale development in infrastructure, there is a 'project' on at every nook and corner, it is important that we find a balance between going clean and green and development.