Mumbai: With the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) earlier this week with the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai for supply of 120 new air-conditioned local trains, railway commuters can look forward to more comfortable journeys with improved seating, enhanced cooling and higher speeds once the new rakes arrive.
“All coaches in the trains would be connected via vestibules, allowing for seamless movement. The capacity of ACs would be upgraded from 15 tonnes to 17 tonnes, and the trains would run at speeds up to 130 kilometers per hour, as against the current top speed of 100 kilometres per hour. A prototype of the new trains was expected to be ready by 2027, railway officials said.
The new trains would have cushioned seats, replacing the steel and carbon fibre seats in existing AC locals, following complaints from railway passenger associations about steel seats becoming extremely cold due to the air-conditioning, according to senior railway officials.
“Rakes manufactured by the ICF would also have better acceleration and deceleration, advanced thermostats and temperature control equipment, and regenerative braking systems that will help save more energy,” a senior official said, requesting anonymity.
