So when exactly is Mumbai getting its first AC local?

Local Press Co 5-point Snippet

1. Ever since the announcement of Mumbai’s first AC local last year, city commuters have been waiting to get a ride in the highly sought-after train, with the city’s hot and humid weather only adding fuel to the fire.

2. The train finally arrived on April 5 and began field trials on May 15. Initial estimates pegged that the train would be come into service around September after completing 3-4 months of thorough testing. However, railway officials are keeping mum on whether the train will see the light of day even after 4 months since there are a lot of ‘firsts’ to test.

3. The most challenging areas of testing include the new 15 tonne roof-mounted ACs, sliding doors, speed trails upto 110 kmph, inter-connected coaches and the all new Train Control and Management System (TCMS). What makes the deployment even trickier is the fact that it’s being done on the world’s busiest rail network. A minor oversight and it could affect the commute of millions of daily commuters.

4. Although railways plans to order 9 more AC locals from the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, they have clearly stated that the orders will only be placed on the first local is commissioned and commuters have given it a thumbs up. The first train alone cost Rs 54 crore.

5. In the past, the Bombardier train was implemented after a testing over nearly 18 months. Even WR’s Medha, which arrived in Mumbai in October 2015, is yet to be commissioned. Based on the trial records of the newer trains, it is likely that Mumbaikars might have to wait for anywhere between 4 to 12 months to ride the AC local.