MRVC Begins Rs 199 Crore Upgrade of Six Mumbai Carsheds for 238 New AC Locals

The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) has begun upgrading six existing EMU carsheds across Mumbai Central, Kandivali, Virar, Kurla, Kalwa, and Sanpada at an estimated cost of Rs 199 crore. The infrastructure work aims to prepare the suburban railway network for the phased arrival of 238 new air-conditioned local trains scheduled to enter service starting in 2027.

The car shed upgrades are distributed across both Western and Central Railways. Facilities on the Western Railway network—located at Mumbai Central, Kandivali, and Virar—will undergo enhancements estimated at Rs 159 crore. Meanwhile, three carsheds on Central Railway, situated at Kurla, Kalwa, and Sanpada, will account for around Rs 40 crore of the total expenditure. The entire upgrade project is scheduled for completion within 24 months.

Once finished, the modernized facilities will be equipped to handle maintenance for both the upcoming AC local trains and existing 12-coach and 15-coach non-AC services. Routine maintenance tasks at the upgraded yards will cover brakes, wheels, traction motors, doors, electrical components, batteries, and bogies. The facilities will also service specialized air-conditioning equipment, including compressors, blowers, and temperature-control systems.

The existing carsheds are being augmented because new dedicated maintenance depots may not be ready in time for the arrival of the new rolling stock. MRVC has planned dedicated AC local depots at Vangaon on Western Railway and Bhiwri on Central Railway, with preliminary construction at Vangaon already underway. Until those dedicated facilities are fully operational, the upgraded existing carsheds will support the fleet.

The 238 new AC trains slated for Mumbai's suburban network are expected to be manufactured and supplied by Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala, and Modern Coach Factory in Rae Bareli.