Chennai Needs To Wait Longer For AC Suburban Trains, Here's Why

The wait for air-conditioned suburban trains in the Chennai Beach-Chengalpattu route has been long now.

City rail passengers wait to travel on AC suburban trains for a more comfortable travel experience, but the railways are yet to get the rakes.

Notably, the Railway Board allocated two 12-car AC Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) rakes to the Southern Railway earlier this month. But it seems that the deadline for the project is far away.

Out of the eight AC Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) manufactured by Integral Coach Factory (ICF), two have been specifically designated for the Southern Railway, which is likely to be introduced on this route.

The first rake was scheduled for delivery in 2023–24, with the second one planned in the subsequent year. However, the state government has now decided to push for AC trains and include them in the state budget as the railways continue to drag their feet. They also asked Metro Rail to conduct a feasibility study.

An official stated that the Railway Board is in favour of AC trains for suburban routes in the city, but they can be introduced only when rakes are ready, reported The Times of India.

ICF has been producing AC suburban rakes with automated doors for the Mumbai suburban network, where the trains were launched in November 2023. “We have the expertise and have been manufacturing such rakes. The railway board will have to allocate the rakes for Chennai. The Mumbai network project is an exclusive manufacturing project that has been underway for several years,” an official said.

The state government showed an interest in collaborating with the railways to provide AC trains on the Chengalpattu route in 2022. As reported by the media outlet, one of the stumbling blocks could be that Chennai’s suburban network is managed by railways and not by a dedicated body like in Mumbai.

Zonal rail users consultative committee member A Pandia Raja said, “AC suburban trains should be introduced without further delay. There should be two peak-hour services in the morning and in the evening. This will increase occupancy and revenue. Automatic doors offer convenience and safety.”