CR may run ‘local’ between Mumbai & Nashik, to conduct trials after 3 months
CR has asked for a modified EMU with better braking capabilities to conduct trials on the route’s ghat section (Picture Courtesy: rashtriyarailbhaskar.com)
A ‘local’ train may soon connect the busy cities of Mumbai and Nashik, pending a successful trial run by Central Railway (CR) on the route’s ghat section.
If the plan materialises, an EMU (Electrical Multiple Unit) with automatic door closure system may operate between Kalyan and Nashik Road.
According to the Research, Standards and Designs Organisation (RDSO), EMU services can be operated till Nashik as long as several steps, to prevent mishaps on the ghat section, are taken.
“RDSO has said EMU trains should run only with automatic door closure system with proper ventilation. It also said EMUs should have more braking power than the ones used in the suburban section at present,” a CR official told the Times of India.
The division has also asked Chennai’s Integral Coach Factory (ICF) for a special EMU rake which can provide adequate braking power to ensure the train remains steady while braking on an incline.
“We want to ensure the rake does not roll done when the train is stopped on an incline,” the official added.
Per the current timeline, the rake will be delivered after three months and trials will commence shortly after.
Although an EMU is theoretically capable of negotiation the ghat section, CR will have to undertake extensive trials to ascertain if the existing infrastructure is capable of handling the wider rakes.
Mumbai and Nashik are well-connected by road. However, it takes over 3 hours to cover the near 170 km distance. The two cities are also connected by several trains, the quickest of which takes about 2 hours and 10 minutes to complete a one-way journey.
A direct train between Kalyan and Nashik Road, however, will make the commute far more seamless and help cut down travel time.
