The trial of the rake might take several months after that, agreed some officials dna spoke to, which could mean that the AC rake might miss the 2015-16 financial year as well.
There is bad news for Mumbai commuters eagerly waiting for city's first ever air-conditioned local train. In yet another delay to the project, the late arrival of the train's all-important computer software systems will now see the construction of the train complete only by December. The earlier work schedule of the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, as reported by dna, was to complete the construction by September-end and flag it off for Mumbai on October 2.
ICF general manager AK Agarwal told dna, "The software for the rake will come in only by the first week of September. Its testing might take two to three months. So, we believe, we will be able to complete the rake by December."
The trial of the rake might take several months after that, agreed some officials dna spoke to, which could mean that the AC rake might miss the 2015-16 financial year as well.
According to officials, several firsts in the rake would mean its testing may take longer than the time taken to clear the recently-introduced Bombardier rakes. "It has a completely new electrical system and train management software, manufactured jointly by Bharat Heavy Electricals and Netherlands-based firm Strukton. It has a 15-ton roof-mounted air-conditioner unit, which is the heaviest ever on Indian Railways. Plus, it is expected to take loads of anything between eight and 12 people per square metre. Testing these things would take time," said an official. A joint team of the Research Design Standards Organisation, Western Railway (on whose lines it will ply) and BHEL/Strukton is expected to test the rake once it arrives in Mumbai.
If the rake indeed misses the 2015-16 financial year deadline, it will be the fourth year of missed deadlines. It was first announced in the railway budget for 2012-13, but it never materialised, thanks to neither the WR nor the railway board taking any steps to speed up the work of finalising the design and procuring the materials.
The railway ministry, under the UPA government, in early 2014 had announced that it would be commissioned by July 2014, though officials almost immediately called the announcement a political stunt. Since then, it has missed a few more deadlines, the latest being September 2015.
The rules
It must supply 0.14-metre cube of fresh air per person per minute.
Total fresh air supplied in the coach should be 70-metre cube per minute.
It should be able to work when the coach is crowded with up to 500 passengers.
It should bring relative humidity within the coach to about 60%.
It should be able to work when outside temperature is up to 40 degrees Celsius.
It should be able to work when the train is running at 120 kmph.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "AC-local")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}