Make all locals AC trains: MRVC

Mumbai: Mumbai Rail Vikas Coporation (MRVC) — which is looking at the viability of using only air-conditioned trains in Mumbai and its suburbs in the near future — has requested the Railway Board to consider comparative rates of non air-conditioned and air-conditioned trains with the former being pegged at Rs 4 crore and the latter between Rs 7.5 and Rs 8 crore per coach.

The push comes at a time when Mumbai Urban Transport Project III, recently sanctioned by the Cabinet, has 66 new trains as part of its plan to ease Mumbai suburban traffic density. The idea is to make this part of the project plan so that it stays relevant with Mumbai Metro gaining popularity.

The official said, “Right now, the normal Mumbaikar who wants to travel economically to work and back still opts for the Mumbai local, but with increasing upward mobility, especially among the youth, 10 years down the line, we might become obsolete. It’s like how people began to opt for Ola and Uber when there was competitive pricing. Similarly, they won’t mind paying a little extra to travel in an air-conditioned train. Besides, there are no beggars travelling with you or unclean coaches so we have to stay relevant and shifting to air-conditioned trains is our aim.”

Officials think that the railways might have to pay a little more for air-conditioned trains but the benefits for transport service giant will be for the next three decades at least. “We have told the Railway Board in March that if we order air-conditioned trains in bulk which is beyond 50 trains of 12 coaches each, the cost for Metro-like quality trains will go up to Rs 7.5 to Rs 8 crore maximum. The railways can bring a new fare structure for these trains and penalty for ticketless travelling can be increased too,” said the official.