EMU purchase move irks railway staff

EMU purchase move irks railway staff

Kochi: The Indian Railways’ move to buy modern electric multiple unit (EMU) train sets with a provision to sign a seven-year maintenance contract with the manufacturer has irked the employees’ unions. Though the mechanical section is in charge of maintenance of trains, it does not yet have the know-how to maintain the modern trains.

Hyundai Rotem, Talgo and Bomardier are bidding for the contract, which is expected to be signed in August. The railway budget has earmarked Rs 2,500 crore for the import of EMU train sets as a first step of the modernisation of the railways.

The contract would require the manufacturer to maintain the carriages for the initial seven years and then transfer the responsibilities to the railways. The contract includes the transfer of technology, which would allow the railways to build 275 carriages in the second stage as part of the ‘Make in India’ scheme.

The train sets have a design similar to bullet trains and can travel at 200 kilometres per hour. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated under the carriages.

EMU train sets do not need special tracks like bullet trains. The new train sets will be put to service on nine high-speed routes where Rajdhani Expresses and Shatabdi Expresses are currently run between 160 and 200 kilometres per hour.