Coaches might undergo people trial' before run

Mumbai: The railway officials have found themselves in uncharted waters with the air-conditioned train, as they have had no frame of reference or experience of running such trains, especially in the rush hours. So, the Railways may conduct a ‘people trial’ before actually introducing it.

Some officials strongly believe that there should be trials with passengers during peak hours and the train must be introduced only after that.

“One of our biggest issues is temperature. We have absolutely no idea or any precedent and don’t know at what temperatures the commuter will freeze or suffocate,” an official said.

“Climatic conditions such as the current monsoon and the humidity of the summer need to be taken into consideration,” he added.

In fact, one of the major issues faced is the current trains’ dysfunctional air-conditioning unit, which couldn’t be regulated, as a result of which the temperature inside the coach would not go above 16 degrees Celsius. The official said, “This unreliability is the reason why suggestions of a trial involving people during peak hours has been coming in from all quarters.”

If carried out, such a trial would be completely unprecedented. The official said, “But then, an AC train in a commuter dynamic like Mumbai is a first as well, so lets see if the Railway Board allows us to do this.”