Mumbai Local News: WR and CR to Receive New AC, Non-AC Trains After 4-Year Wait

Mumbai will receive new local trains for Western Railway (WR) and Central Railway (CR) after a wait of four years. The WR will receive an AC local rake, whereas CR will receive a non-AC local rake.

The new air-conditioned rake reached Mumbai on Wednesday, November 20. As per reports, the train started from Chennai and passed through Pune on Tuesday, November 19. It is built by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai. Trials and tests will be conducted before it is added to Western Railway’s suburban fleet.

The new AC rake will increase the number of AC trains on WR to eight. Currently, Western Railway operates seven AC trains. The addition of the eighth rake will also help reduce mechanical issues. These problems often lead to last-minute non-AC train substitutions. WR will be able to replace 10-12 non-AC train services without affecting the current schedule. 

Western Railway officials have also asked for an increase in the AC units' cooling capacity. They want the current 15-ton capacity upgraded to 17 tons to increase comfort.

Over 1,30,000 passengers travel daily on Western Railway's suburban routes. Western Railway had requested additional AC rakes to meet commuter demand. The railway board has allocated four more rakes for Western Railway for the years 2023–2025. 

Furthermore, CR's new non-AC train will replace the Harbour line's older train services. There is no information yet about new AC trains for Central Railway. Political opposition has delayed the introduction of AC services on Central Railway.

Since August 2022, AC trains have been a political issue. NCP president Sharad Pawar has demanded the removal of AC trains from CR. He has called for the restoration of non-AC services to benefit working-class passengers. 

The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation plans to acquire 238 AC rakes under the World Bank-funded Mumbai Urban Transport Project. These rakes will eventually replace all non-AC trains in the city. However, this plan is on hold. Concerns remain that fully replacing non-AC trains will be inconvenient for people who can't afford it.