Entire fleet of Mumbai locals to turn into AC Vande Metros, process begins

In a step ahead for Mumbairsquos local trains the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation MRVC on Wednesday began the process for the ldquoprocurement of 238 trains of Vande Metro suburban under Mumbai Urban Transport Project MUTP 3 and 3Ardquo in the next seven years and building new train depots at Vangaon and Bhivpuri for their maintenance The MUTP projects are jointly funded by the state and the central government to upgrade the cityrsquos rail network with new corridors and trainsThis means that the entire nonAC fleet of Mumbai local train will now slowly get converted into AC Vande Metro trains MidDay had reported in a frontpage report last month on how on 19 May 2023 170 years after the first train run in a historic shift for Mumbai the Ministry of railways had issued a onesheet fivepoint note to the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation MRVC the rail upgrade project planning and implementation body for the city directing them to upgrade Mumbai local trains into classy Vande Metro suburban trainsAs per the document the MRVC seeks procurement cum lifetime maintenance of Vande Metro suburban rakes 2856 cars in combination of 1215 cars including setting up of new maintenance depots and upgradation of existing maintenance facilities with a completion period of the work 84 months 7 years for supply of these trains along with setting up of new car sheds at Vangaon and Bhivpuri and 420 months 35 years for comprehensive annual maintenance of trains and maintenance depotAs per the conditions the trains will not be manufactured as regularly done by railway factories but by the technology partners ensuring Make in India guidelines with stringent maintenance requirements for the next 35 yearsldquoThe decision to procure Vande Metro Suburban rakes reflects the governments longterm vision for suburban rail networks and emphasizes their commitment to providing worldclass transportation facilities to commuters The introduction of these stateoftheart trains will undoubtedly elevate the suburban travel experiencerdquo Subhash Chand Gupta CMD MRVCSalient Features AirConditioned Vande Metro Suburban trains1 Automatic door closing system and fully vestibuled coaches2 Single class of coaches means no first or secondclass arrangement as in existing NonAC Locals3 Separate AC VendorLuggage compartment at both ends of the train4 Passenger seating arrangement is the same as provided in the existing EMU trains Modular ergonomic seats with cushions will be provided5 Coaches will be earmarked for ladies passengers with disabilities and senior citizens etc as per the existing arrangement6 Energyefficient LED lights and emergency lights in the coaches7 Infotainment news weather videos advertisements important messages for passengers with large digital display panels dynamic route map indication for en Enroute stations destinations realtime clock door opening side etc Digital destination boards on both sides of the car in addition to the front and rear of the train8 Emergency egress system9 CCTV surveillance and passenger emergency alarm talk back system GPSbased public address system10 USB ports for mobilelaptop charging in the passenger saloon areaAdditional train features1 Performancebased technical specification for procurement of new rolling stock2 Automatic Fire detection and alarm system3 Provision of a wider interCar Gangway for thorough connectivity of the Rake4 Higher regenerative braking will result in energy cost saving5 Design incorporates a modern aesthetic approach with considerations to optimize passenger comfort safety and security as well as to minimize the noise in the saloon area6 Higher power speed acceleration and deceleration as compared to existing rakes7 All major equipment shall be mounted underslung or roof this will result into higher floor area utilization8 Stateoftheart traction technology for higher energy efficiency9 Windows and doors shall be designed to allow passengers to have a good vision of the outside especially on the station information10 Ergonomically designed aesthetically pleasing cushioned seats11 Backup batteries to supply emergency loads of the train12 Microprocessorbased fault diagnostics system and Event Recorder13 Air springs in the secondary Suspension of bogies to improve riding comfort14 Max Operational Speed 130 KMPH15 Car body of Aluminum Alloy or Stainless Steel with a design life of 35 years 16 Automatic Door Closing System with obstacle detection feature17 Smart Airconditioning System with compliance with the climatic comfort performance18 Lateral seating arrangement 33 as per the existing pattern19 Passenger seating and standing capacity not less than the existing rakes20 Mobilelaptop charging facility USBC port21 CCTV and Emergency Talk Back system in all coaches22 Cyber Security framework to maintain the integrity of data transmission