‘Make in India’ rakes likely to hit tracks on Saturday

If things go according to plan, the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the government will be flagged off on Mumbai’s suburban network on Saturday by Railway minister Suresh Prabhu. According to a draft plan of the minister’s tour program scheduled for March 18 – a copy of which is with Mirror – one of the two indigenously developed Medha rakes will be remotely flagged off from LTT.

The tentative program will begin at 3 pm at LTT where the minister will flag off the Mumbai LTT – Tatanagar Antyodaya Express (biweekly) at 3 pm on Saturday, following which he will remotely flag off the new rake which starts from Churchgate. Prabhu is also remotely inaugurating a few other services, like Wi-Fi and laundry, among others, at different stations.

The second rake will be inducted into service some time next week, said an officer. Senior Western Railway officers said the first Medha rake arrived in the city on 26 October 2015 and second on 26 November 2016. After completion of trials, the railway board gave clearance for its induction in the suburban network on February 21.

“This was built at the Integral Coach Factory, the electrical and train management systems were configured in Hyderabad,” said an official. Cost of a Medha rake of 12 coaches is Rs 43.23 crore which is less than that of a bombardier, which costs Rs 44.36 crore.

News Source: mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com