Vinod Bhat
New Delhi: Union Minister for Railways, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, has informed that the Ministry of Railways has prioritised the manufacturing of 238 AC EMU rakes through its Production Units, Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, Rail Coach Factory (RCF), Kapurthala, and Modern Coach Factory (MCF), Raebareli. The step has been taken to ensure the timely availability of rolling stock in line with the commissioning of infrastructure under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP).
An indicative production programme provides for 120 AC EMU rakes through ICF, 71 rakes through RCF and 47 rakes through MCF, taking the total to 238 rakes. Indian Railways’ Production Units have proven capability in manufacturing modern passenger rolling stock, including Air-Conditioned EMUs, Vande Bharat trainsets and Vande Metro trainsets. The Railway Board has approved procurement of the sanctioned AC EMU rakes on existing and proven RDSO/ICF specifications, facilitating expeditious manufacturing and supply of the rolling stock.
The supply is planned to commence from 2027, with the entire sanctioned quantity scheduled for completion by 2030. The availability of the first trainsets during 2027, followed by completion of the entire requirement by 2030, will help bridge the gap between infrastructure commissioning and rolling stock induction and enable optimum utilisation of the infrastructure.
