19 May,2023 10:56 PM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. Aklekar
Representational Pic
In a historic shift for Mumbai, the ministry of railways on Friday decided to upgrade Mumbai local trains into classy Vande Metro trains and placed order for the procurement of 238 trains of Vande Metro (suburban) under Mumbai Urban Transport Project 3 and 3A.
The upgraded trains will not be manufactured as regularly done by railway factories but will be developed by the technology partner in their own factories/works ensuring Make in India guidelines.
The ministry has directed the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation, implementing the order to go ahead and invite tenders for the project with stringent maintenance requirement for next 35 years.
The MRVC has been asked to consult Western and Central Railway for the requirement of 12/15 car trains as per their requirements and then decide.
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Mid-Day had recently reported about the upgrade plans of the city railway system and plans to procure 238 new AC local trains for Mumbai had been stranded and New Delhi had responded to the story in its March 29 page one story that plans were underway. The last AC train for Mumbai was dispatched from Integral Coach Factory (ICF) at Chennai on 30 November 2022 which arrived in the city in December 2022 after which no more trains were expected or ordered.
AC local trains have become a political tool since August 2022 with NCP president Sharad Pawar calling for their complete withdrawal from the city and restoration of regular services for working-class commuters. In August 2022, after protests from commuters who illegally board local trains from Kalwa carshed and also those from Badlapur against the new AC local services led by NCP leader Jitendra Awhad, the Central Railway had withdrawn ten new AC services within five days of their introduction.
