Safety commissioner to be given technical presentation on AC rake

The field trials of the city's first air-conditioned rake will now begin only after the stakeholders in the construction of the rake give a detailed technical presentation to the Commissioner of Railway Safety (Western Circle) Sushil Chandra. Officials familiar with the development said that the presentation will be a joint effort of the Research Design Standards Organisation (RDSO), Central and Western Railways, the Integral Coach Factory Chennai and the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL).

The rake has been constructed at ICF-Chennai and its power systems and train management mechanism have been built by BHEL?. "There are several new components to the AC rake, especially the15-tonne AC units in each coach — which is the most powerful used for any train in India. There are additional problems like the height of the coach, which at 4,295 mm is higher than other rakes like Bombardier and Siemens. A technical presentation will help CRS take a call on approving the rake," said a railway official.

Officials say that BHEL wants a 14-week trial routine, which does not look likely.

"The routine might take more time, and it is almost certain that the rake will be commissioned by mid-2017. Commissioning the rake during the monsoon might pose a problem," said an official.