AC locals to replace Mumbai suburban trains: CM Devendra Fadnavis

The Maharashtra chief minister announced plans to convert suburban trains to AC, lower fares, and enhance safety after a fatal accident in Mumbra.

MUMBAI: Against the backdrop of the freak railway accident which claimed four lives in Mumbra on Monday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the Indian Railways is trying to convert existing suburban trains to air-conditioned (AC) ones. AC train fares will then be lowered not far from the existing suburban trains.

Mumbai, Jun 10 (ANI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis releases a book during a press conference, on the completion of 11 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government, in Mumbai on Tuesday. (ANI Photo) (Deepak Salvi)

Fadnavis said he discussed with Union Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw at length on Monday to prevent similar accidents in the future. He said the Indian Railways has decided to strengthen the carrying capacity of the suburban railways during peak hours in Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). Rail infrastructure will also be scaled up infrastructure from a safety point of view while upgrading the amenities, he added.

“As the first step, the rakes on suburban routes will be converted to air-conditioned ones with the facility of shutting doors. They will try to keep the fare closer to the existing fare of the suburban railways. We want railway passengers to receive services similar to that of Metro train passengers at a closer cost without discrimination. The peak-hour overcrowding on the local trains happens because the Metro network in MMR is not fully operational, for which carrying capacity will be increased,” he said.

He also said in the last 11 years when the Modi government has been in power, it spent the highest budget in the history of the suburban railway network for strengthening Maharashtra’s railway infrastructure. From increasing the height and length of platforms to the signalling system, water facility, escalators, and route strengthening, he attributed the state’s railway upgrades to the Modi government’s budget.

Fadnavis was speaking at a press conference held in light of the Modi government finishing 11 years in the Centre. The state unit of the BJP will carry out a 10-day outreach program at district and tehsil levels to highlight the achievements and performance of the central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Fadnavis challenges Gandhi to a debate

MUMBAI: Chief Minister Fadnavis dared Rahul Gandhi to debate with him on the latter’s claim of rigging in the election system. Fadnavis said after his response to Gandhi’s claims of election machinery being rigged during the Maharashtra Assembly polls, nobody from Congress has reacted.

“Gandhi and Congress have not been approaching the Election Commission with their doubts as the poll body has already replied to their objections in a 60-page reply. The booth-level agents appointed by Congress during and ahead of the elections to check the voter’s list did not raise a single objection. Had they had any objection, they could have officially lodged the complaints,” he said.

Fadnavis said Gandhi was adapting ‘Gobel’s policy’ of repeated false claims to create confusion among people to cover up his and his party’s defeat. “If he (Gandhi) wishes to have a debate with me on this subject, I am ready for it. Any BJP worker can have a debate comfortably with Gandhi, and I too am ready for it,” he said.