The wait is over finally Mumbai gets their first AC local train today. India’s first air-conditioned local, stretching between Mumbai’s Churchgate and Virar station, ran its journey at 10:32 am today from Borivali station to Churchgate. The local was brought to Mumbai from the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, on April 4, 2016. The services will replace 12 existing non-air conditioned services.
After 65 trial runs over two years at Kurla and Virar car-sheds the first inaugural 12 coaches came today. According to Western Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Ravinder Bhakar, the last successful technical run of the train, running on broad gauge, was conducted yesterday. Earlier, MPs Kirit Somaiya, Gopal Shetty, Maharashtra minister Vinod Tawde, Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar and WR General Manager Anil Kumar Gupta flagged off the train. Gupta said, “This AC local is being run through a prototype coach and we will invite feedback from commuters and incorporate it into our next fleet of coaches.”
Here are 8 things you should know about the AC trains
1. The train is built in Chennai at a cost of Rs. 54 crore, the Mumbai AC local was meant to be run on the Central Railway (CR) corridor. However, later it was decided to run it first on the Western Railway (WR) corridor.
2. Initially, the AC local will operate only on the Churchgate-Borivali section. The train will make six trips (12 services per day) and from January 1 next year, it will run from Churchgate to Virar.
3. The train will not operate on Saturdays and Sundays as it requires maintenance.
4. The full AC air-suspension coaches will carry nearly 6,000 commuters per rake. Just like the Metro trains, these coaches will also have automatic door opening-closing system.
5. Emergency Talk Back system between commuters and guard beside a public address system, advanced GPS-based passenger information system, air-tight vestibules connecting all 12 coaches are some of its other features.
6. "The automatic doors will keep us safe and the AC makes it comfortable too. The emergency communicator, a safety feature in which passengers can directly communicate with the guard of the train, is impressive," a passenger said.
7. The base fare of the single journey of the Mumbai AC local will be 1.3 times of the base fare of the existing fare for a single journey by first class. However, passengers will be charged 1.2 times the first class ticket cost in the initial six months. Unlike regular local trains, the AC service will have a special weekly and fortnightly season ticket.
8. Kailash Verma of the Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh, said, "The commissioning of this train is a testimony that the Indian Railways are trying hard to meet the demands of the passengers. I hope that maintenance and punctuality of the trains will be monitored on priority."
