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Confusion reigns as Mumbai's first AC local misses yet another deadline

When will Mumbai get its first air-conditioned (AC) local train? And how many of them? If one goes by the latest work schedule for the train, then the chances of it chugging out to public comfort before July this year is remote. Add another few months for trials, since the AC local would be completely indigenous, and Mumbai might be getting to ride on it only after the monsoon this year.

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When will Mumbai get its first air-conditioned (AC) local train? And how many of them? If one goes by the latest work schedule for the train, then the chances of it chugging out to public comfort before July this year is remote. Add another few months for trials, since the AC local would be completely indigenous, and Mumbai might be getting to ride on it only after the monsoon this year.

A K Agarwal, general manager, Integral Coach Factory, Chennai confirmed the development to dna. "There has been a delay in the supply of electrical equipment, so our new deadline is July this year. These equipment will now be supplied only by March 31. The trials would take some more time after that," said Agarwal.

The fact that the AC train would not be coming to Mumbai even this financial year (2014-15) would mean it is the third time it will miss a Budget-imposed deadline. It was first announced in the Railway Budget for 2012-213, but it never materialised, thanks to neither Western Railway - on which it was to run - nor the Railway Board taking any steps to speed up the work of finalising the design and procuring the materials. The UPA government in early 2014 had announced that it would be commissioned by July 2014 though officials almost immediately called the announcement nothing but a political stunt.

Even the number of AC local trains that Mumbai will get is mired in confusion. While a top Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) official on Monday said that the ministry had ordered 12 such AC rakes - that is 11 apart from the one brought in operational condition - from the ICF, Chennai, the authorities at ICF said they were not in the loop.

Agarwal told dna that ICF had been asked by the Railway board to make 10 rakes, which includes the AC local being built there. "However we do not know whether these nine rakes will be air-conditioned ones. That will be known only after the trials of the first AC rake are over and the feedback assessed," said Agarwal.

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