Central Railway to roll-in 13 new 12-car Local Train sets developed by Medha Group, on Harbour Line

For the first time in five years, Central Railway will induct 13 brand new local trains in Mumbai. The first of these already reached Mumbai from Chennai’s Integral Coach Factory of Indian Railways on Monday. Most likely, the new trains will ply on Harbour line.

All 72 trains procured in last five years under the second phase of Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP-II) were given to Western Railway.

Commuters on the Harbour line travel on old dual current (AC-DC) locals which are suffocating as they have very poor illumination and ventilation.

Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation spokesperson quoted in the report said that new locals are procured under nine-coach to 12-coach extension project and all new trains are expected to be delivered by March next year.

Popularly known as Medha local as the electric control system in the trains are developed by Medha Servo Drives in Hyderabad, they cost Rs 42 crore each and can run at the speed of 110 kmph.

Visually, Medha locals are similar to the trains procured from Bombardier and are equally advanced as other MUTP I and MUTP II locals. The only difference is the electric system that includes traction motors and train control system fit in the rakes.

The 12-car train will carry 33 percent more load on the Harbour line than the existing trains. All 13 trains have cost the Railways Rs 714.1 crore. Presently, total 51 old local trains run in Mumbai, 41 on Central Railway and 10 on Western Railway.

The report also says that these trains will replace the existing rakes instead of being introduced as new trains in addition. The officials are also considering running the new trains on the main line and trans-harbour line.

Central Railway runs the main line (CST to Karjat, Kasara and Khopoli), Harbour line (CST to Panvel) and trans-harbour line (Thane to Navi Mumbai).

In September, Rail Minister Piyush Goyal had said that in next three years, the number of trains running on the suburban network will be doubled.

He also unveiled a roadmap for 100 new services in next four months for the commuters of local trains in Mumbai.