05 April,2016 08:38 AM IST | | Shashank Rao
Mumbai’s much-awaited first air-conditioned local train, which left Chennai on Friday, reached the city in the early hours of Tuesday. We have the first pictures
It took nearly 100 hours for the AC local to enter the precincts of Mumbai suburban rail system from Chennai. The first 12-car AC local train was pulled by an engine all the way until it reached Kurla car shed where it has been parked. It is standing on pit line 19 after its long journey.
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The AC local at Vidyavihar station. All pics/Shabad Khan
It first entered Mumbai at Kasara -- until where the local trains ply -- at around 11.30 pm on Monday night, where it stayed for 15 minutes. After this, its next and final stop was at Kurla car shed, where it reached at around 3 am, but not before making a brief halt at Vidyavihar station.
The train was cruising at an average speed of 50 kmph all the way between Chennai and Mumbai. During trials, this train would be tested at speeds of 120 kmph although it could get permission to ply at maximum speed of 110 kmph.
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"We had to ensure that several halts are made, especially at crucial junctions, where traffic is heavy. We didn't want to hurt the punctuality of other long-distance and suburban trains," informed a railway official.
This Rs 55-crore train will first undergo software and technical updates in the next one month. After that, for another 5-6 months, the train will undergo speed and oscillation trials where several of its aspects would be checked and inspected.
The train at Kasara station
General Manager of Central Railway S K Sood said, the trial run would be conducted at trans-harbour line of CR. Sood, however, did not specify as to how long it will take the trial run to be complete and in which route the commercial run would be operated.
"We can't say when trial run would get over. And anything about the lines of commercial operations can be said only after we successfully complete trial run," Sood said.
Another senior official of CR, said the AC local rake will be tested by a joint team of the Research Design Standards Organisation (RDSO), BHEL, Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) and railway's apex technical body, along with engineers from CR and Integral Coach Factory (ICF) where this coach has been built.
He also informed that the speed of the silver-blue coloured AC local train will be limited to around 50-60 kmph during the first few trials.
Built at a cost of Rs 55 crore, the first AC local train has no general or first class compartments, but two of the 12 coaches could be reserved for women apart from the fact that entire rake would be vestibule connected (in two parts of six coaches each).
Operation of AC local on Mumbai suburban services was announced in 2012-13 Rail Budget but initial hiccups and impediments, delayed the project.
- With inputs from PTI
