As part of the ambitious Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP), the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) has invited international tenders for the procurement of 2,856 Vande Metro coaches for Mumbai’s suburban network. 

A senior MRVC official said on Wednesday (June 21) informed that under Phase-3 and 3A of MUTP projects the bids for procurement of 2,856 coaches, which is equal to 238 trains of 12 coach composition, have been invited. Notably, the Phase-3 and 3A MUTP projects are worth Rs 10,947 crore and Rs 33,690 crore respectively.  

According to the document uploaded on MRVC’s website, the successful bidders will be responsible for the procurement-cum-lifetime maintenance of Vande Metro rakes. The successful bidders will have to set up new maintenance depots for Vande Metro and upgrade the existing maintenance facilities, the official said citing the tender document. 

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They will also be required to supply the air-conditioned Vande Metro rakes within seven years. The successful bidders will also have to assist in setting up new car sheds at Vangaon (Palghar district) and Bhivpuri (Raigad district) respectively, the official said.

The announcement of tenders came a month after the Railway Board gave a nod for the procurement of 238 Vande Metro rakes for Mumbai’s suburban railway network in May 2023.

Earlier, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw declared that the network will get Vande Metro on the lines of semi-high-speed Vande Bharat trains – which are currently running on long-distance routes.

An MRVC official, in a conversation with news agency PTI, said that for the manufacturing of the prototype of Vande Metro trains a two-year period has been considered and an additional five-year period for the supply of an average of 50 trains every year. The official also revealed that the successful bidders will have to look after comprehensive annual maintenance of the trains and the maintenance depot for a period of 35 years.

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As per the report, the railway and state authorities will undertake various infrastructure projects for capacity augmentation of Mumbai’s suburban network under the MUTP-3 and 3A projects. 

Vande Metro Features: 

  • The maximum operational speed for Vande Metro trains will be 130 kmph. 
  • Vande Metro will have an automatic door-closing system. 
  • These trains will have fully-vestibuled coaches with a single class of coaches, which means no first-class or second-class arrangement. 
  • The trains will have two separate AC vendor and luggage compartments at both ends of the trains.
  • The luggage compartment will have segregated from the AC air circulation vents so that the smell of items like fish does not cause inconvenience to commuters.
  • The seating arrangement will be similar to the electric multiple unit (EMU) trains.
  • The coaches will be earmarked for women, passengers with disabilities and senior citizens, as per the existing arrangement.
  • Vande Metro will have energy-efficient LED lights, emergency lights, CCTV, talkback systems, and infotainment with large digital display panels.
  • These trains will also have dynamic route map indications for en route stations, automatic fire detection and alarm system.
  • Additionally, it will have USB ports for mobile/laptop charging in the passenger saloon area.