Chennai Needs To Wait Longer For AC Suburban Trains, Here's WhyDespite high demand, the long-awaited air-conditioned suburban trains on the Chennai Beach-Chengalpattu route are still on hold. While the Railway Board has allocated two 12-car AC EMU rakes to the Southern Railway, the project's completion date remains unclear. Out of eight AC EMUs manufactured by ICF, two are specifically designated for...
more... the Southern Railway. The first rake was planned for delivery in 2023-24, with the second one scheduled for the following year. However, the state government has decided to push for AC trains and include them in the state budget, as the railways continue to delay. They also requested Metro Rail to conduct a feasibility study. According to an official, the Railway Board supports AC trains for suburban routes but requires the rakes to be ready for deployment. ICF has been producing AC suburban rakes with automated doors for the Mumbai suburban network, which were launched in November 2023. The official stated that the railway board needs to allocate rakes for Chennai. The state government expressed interest in collaborating with the railways to provide AC trains on the Chengalpattu route in 2022. A potential obstacle is that Chennai's suburban network is managed by railways, unlike Mumbai's, which has a dedicated body. A zonal rail users consultative committee member, A Pandia Raja, advocates for the immediate introduction of AC suburban trains with two peak-hour services in the morning and evening, emphasizing the benefits of increased occupancy, revenue, and safety due to automatic doors.
Chennai Beach-Chengalpattu route pe AC suburban trains ke liye bahut time se wait ho raha hai, lekin abhi tak woh nahin aaye hain. Railway Board ne Southern Railway ko do 12-car AC EMU rakes de diye hain, lekin project kab khatam hoga, yeh pata nahin hai. ICF ne 8 AC EMUs...
more... banaye hain, jisme se do Southern Railway ke liye hain. Pehla rake 2023-24 mein aana tha, aur dusra agle saal. Lekin state government AC trains ko budget mein include karke apna support dikha raha hai, jabki railways delay kar rahe hain. Unhone Metro Rail se feasibility study karne ko bhi kaha hai. Ek official ne bataya ki Railway Board city mein suburban routes pe AC trains ke liye ready hai, lekin rakes ready hone par hi yeh possible hai. ICF Mumbai suburban network ke liye automated doors wale AC suburban rakes bana raha hai, jo November 2023 mein launch hue the. Us official ne kaha ki railway board ko Chennai ke liye rakes allocate karne chahiye. State government ne 2022 mein Chengalpattu route pe AC trains ke liye railways ke saath kaam karne ki interest dikhayi thi. Ek problem yeh hai ki Chennai ka suburban network railways ke control mein hai, Mumbai jaise dedicated body ke control mein nahin hai. Zonal rail users consultative committee ke member A Pandia Raja ne kaha hai ki AC suburban trains jaldi se launch karne chahiye, aur subah aur shaam peak hours mein do services chalani chahiye. Unhone kaha ki isse occupancy aur revenue badhega, aur automatic doors se safety bhi badhegi.
