Mumbai: Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) has decided to fast-track the procurement of 238 AC local train rakes by getting them manufactured simultaneously at three existing Indian Railways production units, instead of pursuing a tender route that could have delayed deliveries by several years.The Rs 21,646-crore tender, floated in Sept 2025 under Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP)-3 and MUTP-3A, also covered associated maintenance facilities. Of the 238, 47 rakes were planned under MUTP-3 and 191 under MUTP-3A.Under the original plan, the 47 MUTP-3 AC locals were expected to start arriving in 2021-22 and the 191 under MUTP-3A from 2023-24. But repeated delays in finalising the tender pushed the programme further off schedule. Prospective bidders indicated that they would require about three years to commence series production as they would have to first establish manufacturing facilities, making the first set of deliveries likely possible only by 2033-34.On social media, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “…The previous procurement model was facing major hurdles, stretching the timeline… That is unacceptable to us. We have now decided to alter the approach…”The tendering process has now been dropped, with MRVC opting to use existing railway manufacturing facilities to accelerate production. The 238 rakes will be manufactured simultaneously at Integral Coach Factory, Chennai; Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala; and Modern Coach Factory, Raebareli.The parallel manufacturing strategy is expected to bring forward the delivery schedule substantially, with the first AC rake targeted for 2027 and the entire fleet expected to be received by 2030.The decision comes as Mumbai’s suburban railway network undergoes a major capacity expansion. Around Rs 22,000 crore is being invested in projects involving new corridors, additional railway lines, extension of platforms to accommodate 15-coach trains and yard remodelling. Several capacity augmentation works under MUTP-2 and MUTP-3 are expected to be completed by 2029.MRVC CMD Vilas Wadekar said the revised approach was aimed at aligning the induction of AC rakes with the commissioning of new corridors, additional lines and other capacity augmentation works. “Mumbai local is not merely a mode of transport; it is the lifeline of Mumbai and an integral part of the city’s everyday life,” Wadekar said.
