‘Deluxe EMU rake’ flagged off from ICF
Special Correspondent
ICF rolls out AC/DC EMU with air-conditioned driver’s cabin
New rake different from conventional one
Total cost of new coach will be around Rs.27 crore
— Photo: S.Thanthoni
STATE-OF-THE-ART: Minister of State for Railways R. Velu inaugurating the ‘deluxe EMU rake’ at ICF in Chennai on Monday.
CHENNAI: The Integral Coach Factory, Perambur, has rolled out an AC/DC EMU with air-conditioned driver’s cabin.
Flagging off the deluxe EMU rake on Monday, Minister of State for Railways R.Velu said that this was the
39th rake supplied by ICF to the Maharashtra Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) for the Mumbai suburban service. The ICF had been given the contract for manufacture of 101 AC/DC EMU rakes by the MRVC under a World Bank scheme, of which 38 had been delivered. This was the first EMU rake with AC driver cabins. In future, all EMUs would have the facility.
The Minister said five new generation EMU rakes were being supplied to the Corporation every month.
The feedback for the coaches was encouraging. They had named the trains “silver bullets” of the Mumbai suburban.
Amenities provided in these coaches were on a par with those of any EMUs in the international suburban system. :bash::bash:
These included global positioning system for displaying passenger relevant information, LED display of destination on either side of the train and forced ventilation system for pumping in fresh air into the coaches to relieve suffocation during peak-time rush.
General Manager M.S. Jayanth said that the new EMU was different from the conventional rake as state-of-the art technology had been incorporated in the rake. The energy requirement of the new coach would be 35 per cent less than that of conventional coaches due to regeneration of energy during braking. Reduced energy requirements would mean reduced emissions and a cleaner environment.
After a complete changeover to new-generation coaches, Railways would save Rs.100 core per annum and earn Rs.12 crore on carbon credit.
The total cost of the new coach would be around Rs.27 crore, which was much less compared to Rs.84 crore charged by some international companies for an 8-car rake of metro rail system. In addition to the 101 rakes, the Railway Ministry on its part was to supply 57 rakes to the Mumbai suburban service, which were also to be supplied by ICF, he added.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/10/stories/2009021059800800.htm