Just like its former MD, corp suggests integrating AC coaches into existing locals to lessen commuters' inconvenience
The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation has suggested adding two to three air-conditioned coaches in the middle of existing trains, to ensure that the scheduled timetable remained unaffected
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The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) seems to have heeded its former managing director Dr P C Sehgal's advice for smoother integration of the air-conditioned (AC) trains. It has now proposed converting a few existing coaches of the 12-car suburban trains into AC ones so that commuters who don't travel in the AC train are not inconvenienced. mid-day had first reported about Sehgal's suggestions in a front-page report on December 29 titled 'Add three AC cars each to existing trains'.
MRVC's chief public relations officer Sanjay Singh confirmed the development, but said it is a long-drawn process and that the idea was at an initial stage. "We are still in the process of finalising this idea. Once that is done, we will have to check how feasible it is to do this practically."
In the middle of trains
MRVC has suggested adding two to three air-conditioned coaches in the middle of existing trains either by replacing the existing first class ones or as add-ons. Once the proposal is finalised, it will be sent to both the city's railways for deliberations and then to the Integral Coach Factory, the manufacturers in Chennai, so that a train can be built according to this configuration.
Sehgal's idea
Sehgal had met the general manager of WR on December 29 to make a similar suggestion. "We can convert the existing fast-line corridor into a 15-car train one by adding three AC coaches at one end of the train. This will ensure that the existing trains remain in the scheduled timetable and Mumbai gets the luxury quotient of an AC train," Sehgal had suggested.
Pads on trains, stns
The WR is planning to put coin-operated sanitary napkin vending machines on locals and at stations. Ravinder Bhakar, WR's chief PRO, said they are working out modalities. On Monday, the Western Railway Women's Welfare Organisation donated and commissioned dispensers at the WR headquarters.
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