A good news for train travellers! The much awaited “made in India” train, Medha rolled on the Mumbai tracks at the Dadar station. Suresh Prabhu, the Railway Minister, flagged off the train from Dadar Railway station in Mumbai via videoconferencing on Saturday at 3.30 PM. Central and Western Railway general manager D.K. Sharma as well as the other senior Railway officials were also present at the Dadar station.
What’s More
Medha is going to operate on the Dadar- Borivali route and will have 12 coaches. The train has been manufactured at ICF (Integrated Coach Factory) and is equipped with advanced technology like LED Lighting for reducing energy consumption. The rake will have a running speed of 110 kmph as compared to the local trains which normally have a speed of 90 or 100 kmph.
The ICF has promised us a better ventilation and suspension system. Also, there is a GPS-based information system to indicate the stations. This rake also has a facility that would help the motormen to communicate with a guard in case of emergencies,” said the officials. The rake has a capacity of 6,050 passengers and the number of seats is 1,168.
As per the officials, this rake is also cheaper than the existing ones. The cost of Medha rake is said to be Rs 43.23 crore whereas the German-made Bombardier rake was estimated at Rs 44.36 crore.
Quotes-Unquotes
We had been waiting for long for this rake to get ready. We are working to increase the services, but the possibility is very less. As of now, there are two rakes of Medha, which will run on the Western Railway network, ” said a senior official from the Western Railway.
