AC local to be decked up with art

Mumbai: The air-conditioned (AC) suburban train will run from January 1 as announced by Union railway minister Piyush Goyal. The Western Railway (WR) plans to paint the AC train with art that represents Mumbai. 

The Mahatma Gandhi’s mural at Churchgate has been a hit with the commuters. Similarly, the AC train will have paintings of iconic structures and cuisine that represent the city, said officials. The WR is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the AC train receives all the fanfare it deserves as promised by Mr Goyal. 

The AC train looks like any other local train, so the painting will not only help in making it a grand launch but will also help commuters to identify it easily, said officials. An official said, “We have held a few meetings about the idea of painting the AC train.” 

He added, “For example, some officials have suggested that the Gateway of India must be painted on the train. But yes we want to bring the train with a lot of pomp because it is a matter of pride for the railways that the first suburban AC train will run on the WR.”

The WR has also asked the Mumbai Police for help in managing the crowd that will alight and board the train once it is operational. The request for help comes as officials have been concerned about how the commuter will respond to the automatic closing doors of AC train.