Mumbai's first air-conditioned local train taken to test

The much-awaited trial of Mumbai's first air-conditioned suburban local train began in the early hours of Friday. According to Central Railway officials, the rake was tested between Thane and Titwala stations.

Railway officials said the report on the Friday morning's trial is awaited from the Research Standards and Design Organisation (RDSO) — the railway's topmost technical authority. The trial is part of the oscillation trials that assess the rake's speed potential, the riding quality and stability at different speeds on straight and curved tracks on different sections of the route.

"The AC rake will be put on trial again on Saturday. The route decided by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) is from Kurla to Kalyan and Kasara to Karjat. According to railway testing rules, the RDSO can choose any section and particular location depending on the requirement. The trial could take place anywhere between Thane and Karjat-Kasara as decided by the RDSO on Saturday," said a senior CR official.

The second part of the trials will be conducted on the Western Railway and could take upwards of six months, thereby putting a question mark on whether the rake would be commissioned in 2017.