Even as there is a freeze on the introduction of new local trains and additional services for the past few years due to the city’s already-packed suburban network, the Railway Board has asked Mumbai managers to accommodate a new type of freight train, similar to that of local trains, within three weeks. First announced in the budget, the freight EMU will be the first of its kind in the 169-year history of the Indian Railways. 

However, the challenge of path availability in the Mumbai region may prove to be a hindrance.