Mumbai AC locals planned with cushioned seats and stronger cooling

Mumbai’s planned new AC local trains could have cushioned seats instead of the steel and carbon-fibre seating used in the current fleet.

Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) has signed an MoU with Chennai’s Integral Coach Factory (ICF) for 120 AC local rakes. Railway officials said passenger associations had raised concerns that steel seats become cold inside air-conditioned coaches.

The proposed trains would have 17-tonne air-conditioning units, compared with 15-tonne units in existing AC locals. The design also includes temperature controls, regenerative braking, improved acceleration and deceleration, and vestibule connections between all coaches to allow passengers to move through the train.

The rakes are designed for speeds of up to 130 kmph, compared with a current top speed of 100 kmph. The 120 ICF rakes are part of MRVC’s plan to add 238 AC locals to Mumbai’s suburban network by 2030.

A prototype is expected in 2027, with the first new train slated to arrive in 2030. Central and Western Railway currently operate 23 AC rakes.