CHENNAI: At a time when suburban trains are overcrowded with passengers , leading to accidents among foot-board travellers, three new, upgraded Mainline Electric Multiple Units (MEMU) have been remaining idle for more than three months with the railways.This was confirmed by the officials in the Southern Railway (SR) and Integral Coach Factory ( ICF ) who did not want to be identified. Each rake costs Rs 26 crore.Though the SR is unable to run the three MEMUs allotted to it, general manager R K Kulshrestha has written to the Railway Board demanding 20 MEMU rakes for conversion of passenger trains. Kulshrestha did not respond to calls from TOI.These MEMUs, developed at ICF from September 2018, can carry 10% more passengers as its electrical parts have been shifted below the coach (under-slung). The MEMU is a three-phase — consuming lesser electricity — and comes with a regenerative braking system, which helps in saving a lot of money on electricity cost.The train will be able to carry 2,618 passengers on every trip, compared to 2,402 the MEMUs currently in service do. MEMUs are narrower in size compared to regular EMUs and hence can have better safety compliance.Sources said Southern Railway officials on January 18 wrote to the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) — the research wing of the Railways. The letter said ICF had given the rakes on September 20, November 29 and December 29, but they have been remaining idle awaiting ‘next course of action’ from the RDSO.A senior railway official privy to the discussions said these delays were due to the electrical-mechanical inter-departmental rivalry in the Railway Board.“The SR officials have been unable to follow up with the RDSO to conduct the trials for MEMU rakes. This is a waste of such a costly asset, which could have helped to de-congest existing trains on the suburban section,” the official, seeking anonymity said. Similar red tape has also delayed the launch of Train 18, India’s fastest and first locomotive-less train developed indigenously by ICF for replacement of Shatabdi Express.Railway sources said RDSO has not given any written clarification if there are any issues with the new MEMU prototype developed by ICF. “We are waiting to conduct speed trials at 110kmph in the Villupuram-Dindigul section,” said another official.

Stay updated with all the Chennai Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.