Mumbai suburban railway network is set for a major upgrade, with Indian Railways prioritising the manufacture of 238 air-conditioned Electric Unit AC (EMU) rakes. The first trainsets are planned to be supplied from 2027, whereas the entire sanctioned fleet is slated for completion by 2030.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has stated that the rakes will be manufactured at three Indian Railways production units. These are: Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, Modern Coach Factory (MCF) in Raebareli and Rail Coach Factory (RCF) in Kapurthala.

As per the PIB, the move has been prioritised to ensure the “timely availability of rolling stock” in line with infrastructure being commissioned under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP).

Where will the 238 AC local rakes be built?

Under the indicative production programme, ICF Chennai will manufacture 120 AC EMU rakes, resulting in the largest share of the total. RCF Kapurthala will manufacture 71 rakes, whereas MCF Raebareli will manufacture 47 rakes, taking the total to 238.

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Indian Railways mentioned that its production units have experience in manufacturing modern passenger rolling stock, Vande Bharat trainsets, air-conditioned EMUs and Vande Metro trainsets.

First AC EMU rakes to arrive from 2027

For Mumbai commuters, the key timeline commences in 2027, when supply of the new AC EMU trainsets is planned to begin. The entire sanctioned quantity of 238 rakes is scheduled to be completed by 2030.

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The availability of the first trainsets in 2027, followed by the full fleet by 2030, is aimed at bridging the gap between commissioning of new infrastructure and the induction of rolling stock. The government stated that this would also enable optimum utilisation of the infrastructure being developed under MUTP.

Railway Board clears procurement on proven specifications

The Railway Board has agreed procurement of the sanctioned AC EMU rakes using “existing and proven RDSO/ICF specifications.” RDSO stands for Research Designs and Standards Organisations, whereas ICF refers to the Integral Coach Factory.