Central Railway orders immediate evacuation of AC local trains after cooling failures
Central Railway has introduced a new operating protocol requiring passengers to be deboarded immediately at the next station if an air-conditioning system fails. The decision, implemented with immediate effect on Tuesday, follows an incident on Monday morning on the Titwala-CSMT route where three commuters fell ill after the AC failed between Diva and Mulund stations.
Under the new directive, any air-conditioned local train that develops a fault in its cooling system must be evacuated at the very next station. The entire rake will then be immediately withdrawn from service and sent to a car shed for detailed inspection and repairs. Central Railway officials confirmed that the new instructions have already been communicated directly to motormen.
The policy shift was prompted by a breakdown during Monday's morning commute. At 8:33 AM, the cooling system failed on a Titwala-CSMT AC local train shortly after it crossed Diva station.
Despite the failure, the train continued its journey for approximately 15 to 16 minutes without functioning air conditioning before finally reaching Mulund station. During this period, passengers inside the sealed coaches complained of severe suffocation, and three commuters fell ill.
The train was halted once it reached Mulund. To provide temporary ventilation, railway staff operated the train with its doors kept open on the stretch between Mulund and Kurla. The rake was then completely withdrawn at Kurla station for a thorough examination.
According to Central Railway officials, the train had reported no defects when it initially departed from the car shed, meaning the technical problem developed entirely during the journey.
An onboard inspection of the fault was impossible while the train was moving. Officials explained that the train traction supervisor could not access the affected coach during transit, which prevented any immediate troubleshooting of the system.
An official investigation into the exact cause of Monday's AC breakdown is currently being conducted by the railway authorities.
