New AC train arrives in Mumbai with broken window glasses

The latest victim of our infamous hooliganism is the swanky, new air-conditioned local train. That, too, even before it arrived at Virar last night. Railway officials said that the train arrived at the station with its windows cracked. Built on the lines of the iconic Train 18, the new AC local, equipped with solar panels that will power lights and fans and high-end amenities, arrived in the city from the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai.

"On receiving the rake, we inspected it and found that three window glasses were shattered and looked like it had been pelted with stones. Of course, we will fix the windows before the train enters public service in a few months," a senior railway official said. The new train will now undergo a series of trials and tests, speed runs and other inspections before it is certified fit for passenger runs.

The second AC local to arrive in Mumbai was designed after incorporating commuters' feedback of the first AC local. PIC/Vaibhav Kale

Western Railway chief spokesperson Ravinder Bhakar confirmed the damage. There has been a rise in instances of vandalism targetting trains, with the Mumbai-Goa Tejas Express, Panchavti Express and the Train 18 being recent examples.

New train has better features
A senior railway official said that the new local train has incorporated several features as suggested by Mumbai commuters in their feedback of the first train. Wider gangways for more people to walk and stand comfortably, improved luggage racks and solar panels were some of these. It also has a Talk Back mechanism, a first for local trains, where commuters in an emergency can contact the train guard.

He also said that with the under-slung motor equipment the train will be able to run at slow speeds even in cases of water logging on tracks. The air-conditioned train does not leave the platform until all the doors are closed.

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