Mumbai: 'Vande Metro can never replace Mumbai locals'

Can the newly announced Vande Metro train run in Mumbai? How is it different from AC locals and regular Metro trains? These are some of the questions on the minds of city rail officials, who eventually opined that it's not meant for the suburban network but for inter-city and mainline. Announcing the Vande Metro train in the Budget, Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said that unlike the 16-coach Vande Bharat Express trains, it would have only eight.

It will help connect smaller routes so that students, traders and people from the service industry can travel to and from hometowns with ease and comfort, Vaishnaw had said. Vande Metro trains will run on high frequency between cities that are less than 100 km apart. The production and design will be completed by December 2023, he had said.

Not on Metro network

MMRDA officials said the Vande Metro trains won't be introduced on Mumbai Metro routes due to fundamental technical differences. Once the entire network is complete, Mumbai Metro will have 14 lines and a Monorail, spanning 356.9 km, with 286 stations. "While Metro network runs on a 1,435-mm standard gauge track, Vande Metro would run on 1,676-mm track gauge of the Indian Railways," an official said.

Vande Metro trains will be half the length of Vande Bharat Express. File Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

Mumbai rail officials said it would be difficult for Vande Metro trains to replace the existing locals on the suburban network as well. "The difference between Vande Metro and local trains would be in speed, in addition to seating and coach composition, which are distinctly different," a rail official said. "Being designed to be high-speed for rapid connectivity of townships, Vande Metro trains cannot be expected to run as a slow local train, halting at every station, every 500 metres. It would go against the fundamental concept of suburban trains," an official added.

Also Read: IN PHOTOS: Vande Bharat Express train reaches Mumbai

However, the Vande Metro trains could be introduced on the Mumbai-Pune-Nashik sector or even replace the mainline electric multiple unit trains that run small distances. "But, these are expected to run as high-speed trains without multiple halts. Nevertheless, the trains are under design and it would be too early to comment on their deployment. But we can be rest assured that every major city, including Mumbai, will get a Vande Metro train in the next two years," he added.

Dec '23
Deadline to complete design and production

08
No of coaches Vande Metro trains would have