The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) has started upgrading six existing EMU carsheds to prepare for 238 new air-conditioned local trains. The new AC trains will enter Mumbai’s suburban railway network in phases from 2027.
The upgrade work covers three carsheds, each on the central and western railway networks. The total project is estimated to cost INR 199 crore and will be completed within 24 months.
On Central Railway (CR), the work will be carried out at Kurla, Kalwa and Sanpada. These three projects will cost around INR 40 crore. On Western Railway (WR), the upgrades will be undertaken at Mumbai Central, Kandivali and Virar. The Western Railway portion is estimated to cost INR 159 crore.
The upgraded facilities will be able to handle the maintenance of both AC and non-AC suburban trains. They will support 12-coach and 15-coach non-AC trains, along with the new AC local trains.
The expansion is being undertaken, as dedicated depots for the new AC fleet may not be ready before the trains begin arriving. Hence, MRVC has planned to upgrade these carsheds. MRVC has also designed dedicated depots for AC locals at Bhiwri on Central Railway and Vangaon on Western Railway.
Construction work at the Vangaon facility is already underway. These depots will also provide maintenance facilities once they are ready. This will cover a wide range of systems and components like AC equipment such as compressors, blowers and temperature-control systems. Staff will also maintain brakes, traction motors, wheels, doors, electrical equipment, batteries and bogies.
The 238 new AC local trains will be manufactured at three railway production facilities. These are the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, the Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala and the Modern Coach Factory in Rae Bareli. The 238 AC locals are part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) Phases III and IIIA. The planned fleet comprises 2,856 coaches, with each rake designed as a 12-coach train.