Mumbai's AC local to be in by January next year

The much-delayed AC local for city's suburban system is expected to be a new year gift for Mumbaikars, as per the work schedule for the train at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai where it would be built. However, after all the electrical testing and trials, it might miss the budget-imposed deadline for the second year running.

Ashok Agarwal, ICF general manager told dna on Monday that the current position is that the train would be built and dispatched to Mumbai by January 2015. "A few electrical tests are going on, only after which would the actual work on the train would begin and we would be in a position to roll it out by January 2015. It would then be sent to Mumbai," said Agarwal.

dna in its June 4 edition, had first reported that with all the delays, it was almost certain to miss the 2014 deadline. But the new January 2015 schedule could mean that the train will miss the financial year ending as well.

"Testing of the product would take more than two-three months. Look at the kind of time that has been spent on the Bombardier rake, which, all said and done, is just a slightly better version of the Siemens rakes we have.

Testing would be difficult because it is an AC train," said an official concerned with the project.

If it does miss the March 31, 2015 deadline, it'll not be the first time that it has done so despite being mentioned in the budget. It was first announced in the Railway budget for 2012-213, but it never materialised, thanks to Western Railway- on which it was to run- and the Railway Board taking no steps to speed up the work of finalising the design and procuring the materials. The railway ministry under the UPA government in 2014 had announced that it would be commissioned by July 2014, though officials almost immediately called the announcement nothing but a political stunt made without even a cursory glance at the time required to come up with such a train