In a major move, the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) has floated tenders for air-conditioned (AC) electric multiple unit (MU) local trains, dubbed ‘Vande Metro’, for the city.

Global bids have been invited for what is considered one of the most expensive rolling stock tenders, valued at Rs 21,000 crore.

"The project represents a massive leap forward in urban transport infrastructure for Mumbai and is expected to drastically improve the daily commute for millions, while also enhancing safety, energy efficiency, and overall service quality on the suburban network," said Vilas S Wadekar, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of MRVC.