‘Medha’ train to be launched after monsoon

The ‘Medha’ train, manufactured under the Prime Minister’s Make in India programme, were to be run on Western Railway (WR) tracks in February this year, thus saving 30 per cent in maintenance costs. But the launch of the train has been postponed to after the monsoon ends, since tests are still being run on the rake.

The train had arrived in the city last October. It was to be pressed into service in February this year. But officials have said that the final test with the commissioner of railway safety (CRS), western circle, is yet to be completed. “Electrical components of the train need to be tested during the monsoon. It is a first of its kind. So the authorities want to make sure that all the worst-case-scenarios are tested for before the train is launched,” said an official.

A unique feature of the Medha train is a certain piece of electrical equipment that will send out an alert to the control room whenever any part of the locomotive’s system fails. This would help get the train back into service earlier and thereby reduce the delays usually seen after such failures.