Cool comfort on suburban trains soon as ER acquires 2 AC rakes
Times of India | 11 March 2025
12 Kolkata: This summer, at least a section of local train commuters can look forward to some cool comfort. Eastern Railway is acquiring two new AC rakes for suburban services, like those operational in Mumbai. The first rake is expected to arrive in the next few days.
Officials indicated that the route allocation for deploying the two new rakes and specifics like fare structure were being worked out. "A survey will be done for deciding on the route of these AC rakes. A lot of factors will be taken into consideration for fixing the fare, which should logically be higher than those of the non-AC trains," an official said. Everyone agreed that the AC rakes' arrival in Kolkata will revolutionise suburban transportation services.
Eastern Railway transports approximately 25 lakh passengers daily. ER's Sealdah division alone handles roughly 900 trains and around 18 lakh passengers every day. The Howrah division accommodates nearly 9 lakh passengers, operating more than 500 trains daily.
"Establishing a comprehensive network of AC local train services like Mumbai will take time, considering the magnitude of our suburban network. But this does mark a significant beginning," an official stated.
For now, Chennai's Integral Coach Factory (ICF) will dispatch two AC rakes. The 12-car three-phased Medha rakes will run at 110 kmph. The steel chassis will stand out among the existing fleet. The interiors are equally impressive. Starting with luxurious upholstery for seating, the bogies will be interconnected, unlike current local trains. Each rake features aluminium racks for light luggage. More than 1,100 passengers can travel per rake, including standing occupancy.
"Commuters should embrace the AC local train concept despite the increased fare, as it ensures travelling in absolute comfort. The reality of daily commuting to and from the city for district residents is rather challenging. One must shell out substantial costs (including last-mile connectivity expense) to avoid the discomfort of local trains. He or she must book the exorbitantly priced app cabs or cars-on-rent or live in rented accommodations away from their residences," a railways official said.
"We would still lag considerably behind Mumbai's suburban AC service, but I am glad that AC trains are finally arriving in Kolkata," said Avipsha Sarkar, who commutes to Salt Lake's Bikash Bhavan via local train, bus, and Toto from her Sodepur residence daily.
The pioneering ICF-manufactured AC local train in Mumbai had started operations in 2016. Currently, 109 weekday AC services and 65 weekend services operate there. Mumbai's single AC journey fare ranges from Rs 65 to Rs 240. In Bengal, local train fares span from Rs 5 to Rs 30. They are all non-AC trains though.
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