Experts nod to mix-and-match formula

Mumbai: Railway experts have said the mix-and-match formula — wherein two to three air-conditioned (AC) coaches will be attached to non-AC local trains while Railways also runs exclusively AC trains — is possible. A private contractor to whom The Asian Age spoke said that the mix-and-match method is quite possible.

The officer said, on the condition of anonymity, “It is not impossible, but it has never been attempted, which is why we can say theoretically it can be done.”

He added, “The trick will have to be that the electricals in the non-AC coaches and AC coaches of the same train will have to be from one company, That is the minimum that can be done.”There are only a handful of suppliers of electric multiple unit (EMU) or local trains: Seimens, Bombardier, Alstorm and Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL).

On the other hand, retired general manager and member of railway board Subodh Jain said, “They can run the train with the mix-and-match formula, but it will not run for long or the experiment will have to be chucked due to its almost 100 per cent probability of failure.”

The WR had run the first AC local in the history of Mumbai between Andheri and Churchgate on Christmas Day last year. The railway official meeting in Delhi is said to be discussing if first class pass holder will be allowed to travel in the AC train by paying the difference.