Mumbai to get 238 state-of-the-art Vande Bharat local trains

S C Gupta, chairman and MD of MRVC said the prototype rake would be launched after two years, and thereafter, the rakes would be rolled out for a period of five years. At present, there are 275 rakes in the suburban train network of Mumbai, which includes 14 AC rakes

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) has issued a tender for the procurement of 238 Vande Bharat metro AC rakes for the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) III and 3A. Approved by the Railway Board, the state government has cleared the project and agreed to sharing 50 percent of the costs.

The state-of-the-art Vande Bharat local trains will have an automatic door-closing system and fully vestibuled coaches. The coaches will have separate air-conditioned vendor/luggage compartments at both ends of the train, but no first class or second class (HT PHOTO)

S C Gupta, chairman and MD of MRVC said the prototype rake would be launched after two years, and thereafter, the rakes would be rolled out for a period of five years. At present, there are 275 rakes in the suburban train network of Mumbai, which includes 14 AC rakes.

The technology partner will not only manufacture the rakes but maintain them for 35 years, which is their estimated lifetime. Two maintenance depots already approved under MUTP III and 3A are to be set up at Vangaon (Western Railway) and Bhivpuri (Central Railway), for which the land is in the process of being acquired.

The rakes promise to be state-of-the-art and hi-tech. They will have an automatic door-closing system and fully vestibuled coaches. The coaches will have separate air-conditioned vendor/luggage compartments at both ends of the train, but no first class or second class. “There were apprehensions about whether there would be vendor compartments in air-conditioned trains but Vande Metro will have them,” said an MRVC official. “However, the luggage compartment will have to be segregated from the AC air circulation vents so that the smell of fish and goods carried by tradesmen does not inconvenience commuters in other coaches.”

The passenger seating arrangement will be the same as in existing EMU trains. Modular ergonomic cushioned seats will be provided and coaches will be earmarked for ladies, passengers with disabilities and senior citizens. There will be infotainment for passengers, large digital display panels, a dynamic route map and so on.

The coaches will have an emergency egress system, CCTV surveillance, a passenger emergency alarm (talk-back) system, a GPS-based public address system, USB ports for mobile/laptop charging, an automatic fire detection and alarm system, a wider inter-car gangway and higher regenerative braking which will save on energy costs. The rakes, made of aluminium alloy or stainless steel, will have a maximum operation speed of 130 km per hour.

“The decision to procure Vande Metro suburban rakes will provide world-class transportation facilities to commuters,” said Gupta. “These state-of-the-art trains will undoubtedly elevate the suburban travel experience.”