Western Railway authorities have asked manufacturers to provide an automatic sliding door (ASD) mechanism in local trains that do not compromise ventilation inside the packed coaches. The coaches will not have AC facility.
DNA had, in its July 14 edition, highlighted how Mumbai local trains would become unbearably stuffy with the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai and the railway ministry deciding not to provide AC in these trains.
Speaking to the media on Thursday, Hemant Kumar, general manager, WR said: "We have been asked to retrofit our rakes with ASD mechanism. ASD will have to be designed afresh for Mumbai conditions (trains with closed door sans AC). We have given the manufacturers who have evinced interest our specification—that there should not be much of a drop in ventilation despite closed doors."
Kumar said it would take around two to three months to finalise the design and a few more months to incorporate the ASD mechanism. According to him, the preliminary cost estimate for retrofitting ASD would be in the Rs 4cr range.
As reported earlier, Kumar agreed that the Kolkata metro model (trains with closed door sans AC) would not work for Mumbai. "The Kolkata model came about almost 3 decades ago, and much has changed since. I'm confident we will find a solution with adequate ventilation," Kumar said.
The 'ASD without AC' project has not gone down well with a lot of city-based officials who believe it will cut down the cross-ventilation inside the trains since doors are the main source of cross movement of air.
As per ICF's preliminary work schedule, the earliest ASD train (for Mumbai) should roll out in Nov next year. But with budgetary push, the deadlines could be advanced, said officials.
Every year around 700 people die falling off local trains. During peak hours the number of commuters inside a local crosses 5,000, making it dangerous for a lot of travellers who only manage to get a toehold in the train.
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