New, faster trains for Mumbai

Mumbai’s much harassed suburban train commuters will soon get new, faster trains if plans by the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) work out as per schedule. The new trains will have a top speed of 130km/hr. The present trains can run at 110km/hr though practically the maximum speed they achieve is 90km/hr. The trains are being manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai. The technology and components to assemble the coaches have been supplied by Siemens Austria. The brakes for the new trains will be directly fitted to the wheels of each coach which will prevent shaking of the trains at higher speeds and provide a jerk free ride for commuters. MRVC has been asked by the Central Railway (CR) to study the feasibility of running 15-car trains on the main line between Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) and North Mumbai; and CST and Karjat and Kasara.