CR’s AC local likely to run on Thane-Panvel route, start before Jan-end
CR authorities are waiting for a nod from the Railway Board before commissioning the AC local on the Thane-Vashi-Panvel Trans-Harbour route
If all goes to plan, Central Railway (CR) will start operating its first air-conditioned local train on the Thane-Vashi-Panvel Trans-Harbour route before the end of this month.
According to officials, CR authorities have decided to run its first air-conditioned local on the Thane-Vashi-Panvel route after considering various factors like feasibility and commuter feedback.
The Trans-Harbour corridor is one of the four different corridors of the CR, where over 262 suburban services are operated daily.
They are now waiting for a nod from the Railway Board, the apex decision-making body of the national transporter, before commissioning the train on the route.
“The first AC local will operate on the Trans-Harbour route. It will replace one of the existing local trains,” General manager of the Central Railway (CR), Sanjeev Mittal, told reporters at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.
CR’s AC local arrived in Mumbai in December 2019. Manufactured by the Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory, the rake is currently undergoing trials and is likely to be put into service in the next 8 to 9 days.
“The date of operation of the AC local is yet to be finalised. It will be decided after we receive approval from the Railway Board,” Mittal added.
The city’s first AC local service was started on Western Railway (WR) in December 2017. Since launch, the service has been a hit among commuters.
While WR operates four AC locals at present, CR is expected to get six locals by the end of the year. Of the six, the second is expected to be delivered by March.
The AC locals on both WR and CR are identical, barring the height. The height of the AC local procured for CR is slightly shorter to accommodate several British-era bridges on the tracks.
