Vande Metro AC Local: Mumbaikars will have to wait longer for AC local Vande Metro trains. MRVC has currently postponed the order for 238 trains.
Vande Metro AC Local: Considered to be the lifeline of Mumbai, the local train is very important for the transportation of this city. However, to make the journey of Mumbaikars more comfortable, it has also been planned to run 238 AC Vande Metro trains in the metropolis. Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) had also issued an international tender for the purchase of 2856 coaches to strengthen the Vande Metro train network in Mumbai. But it seems Mumbaikars will have to wait longer for these new AC local trains. MRVC has postponed this tender for the time being.
Order postponed till further order
According to the official website of MRVC, the tender for 238 Vande Metro which was issued earlier has now been postponed till further orders.
Plan to run 238 Vande Metro
It is worth mentioning that MRVC had invited tender for the purchase of 2,856 coaches for 238 trains with 12 coaches under the third phase and 3A projects of MUTP. The third phase and 3A projects of MUTP are costing Rs 10,947 crore respectively.
According to the tender document, the successful bidder will undertake the procurement and lifetime maintenance of Vande Metro rakes as well as setting up new maintenance depots for Vande Metro and updating existing maintenance facilities.
Vande Metro was approved in May
MRVC floated the tender a month after the Railway Board, the policy-making body of the Indian Railways, awarded the procurement of 238 Vande Metro rakes for Mumbai’s suburban railway network in May 2023.
Metro will run on these routes
According to the tender document uploaded on MRVC’s website, the successful bidder will have to supply air-conditioned Vande Metro rakes within seven years along with setting up of new car sheds at Vangaon (Palghar district) and Bhivpuri (Raigad district) respectively.
Vande Metro will come in two years
Two years time has been considered for the construction of Vande Metro Train and an average of 50 trains will have to be supplied every year in the next five years. Also, the bidder will have to take comprehensive care of the train and maintenance depot for 35 years. Under the MUTP-3 and 3A projects, railways and state authorities will undertake various infrastructure projects for capacity enhancement of Mumbai’s suburban network.
Talking about the features of Vande Metro, another MRVC official said that Vande Metro will have automatic doors and single class modern coaches, which means like the existing non-AC local, it will have first class or There will be no arrangement of second class coach.
