'Vande Metros' to replace Mumbai local trains soon: Report
The local trains of Mumbai, Maharashtra, also known as "Mumbai locals," will soon be replaced with fast and modern trains. The Railway Board authorized the purchase of 238 "Vande Bharat Metro trains" to upgrade the suburban railway network on Friday, PTI reported. They will be manufactured under the central government's Make in India initiative guidelines to ease hectic travel and decrease travel times.
What did officials say?
While giving more details about the project, a Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) official reportedly said, "These trains will be manufactured by the technology partner ensuring Make in India guidelines of the Centre's Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade." "The procurement will be undertaken by MRVC and it will be with maintenance requirements spanning 35 years," they said.
Railways Ministry and Maharashtra government to complete project
According to officials, the new rakes for the suburban railway network project would be produced under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project-III (MUTP-III) and 3A (MUTP-3A) projects. The Ministry of Railways and the Maharashtra government are in charge of these projects to increase the capacity of the network. Notably, the MUTP-III and MUTP-3A projects are valued at Rs. 10,947 crore and Rs. 33,690 crore, respectively.
