CR all set to start trial of Mumbai’s first AC local

Mumbai’s AC Local Train

Ever since the arrival of Mumbai’s first AC local in the city on April 5, commuters have been waiting for a ride in it.

Now, three months after the AC local arrived in the city, Central Railway is set to begin the static trials from the first week of August. Earlier, CR had encountered certain technical glitches which delayed the static trials by a few weeks.

During the static trials, CR will check the functioning of the new 15 tonne roof-mounted ACs, synchronised sliding doors, blower functionality, emergency buttons and more.

If all goes well, authorities will begin the dynamic trials before the end of August. During the dynamic trials, the train will run on the trans harbour corridor without passengers, wherein officials will check for speed, stability, air-conditioning and functioning of the all new Train Control and Management System (TCMS).

Mumbai’s AC Local Train

When asked about the time frame within which the train will be commissioned, a railway official said, “We cannot give an exact date at the moment. The dynamic trials will last a few months since we want to be completely thorough with the process. Plus there are a lot of ‘firsts’ in this train, which will slightly increase the testing time.”

Mumbai’s first AC local was manufactured at Integral Coach Factory, Chennai at a cost of Rs 54 crore. CR plans on ordering nine more rakes once the first one is commissioned successfully.