<p>Chennai: South India’s first air-conditioned Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) train began its services on Saturday on the busy Chennai Beach-Chengalpattu route with the Southern Railway introducing the services in peak Summer. With this, Chennai becomes the second city in the country after Mumbai to have AC EMU train services. </p><p>The 12-car EMU will ply between Chennai Beach-Chengalpattu and vice-versa four times a day except on Sundays and two times between Chennai Beach-Tambaram sections. While the minimum fare (up to 10 km) on the AC train, the maximum fare (50 km -60 km) is fixed at Rs 105, even as the Southern Railways announced monthly passes starting from Rs 620. </p><p>The new train with 12 coaches has been built on par with Metro coaches with a higher capacity of 1,116 seats and space for 3,798 standees. AC coaches in EMU trains were introduced in Mumbai in 2017 and since then there have been demands from Chennai, which has a robust EMU network, for an air conditioned coach. </p>.Chennai’s Urupaanar revives extinct instruments.<p>“I am so happy to travel on the first AC train. It is such a comfortable ride and we just hope that Southern Railway runs more AC services on the busy route. A lot of people are dependent on EMU locals to travel to Chennai and return to their homes,” Hemachandran, a working professional, said. </p><p>Chennai Beach-Chengalpattu and Chennai Beach-Tambaram are two busy routes that connect the city with many of its suburbs. “It is a welcome move that the trains have been introduced during peak summer,” Richard said, adding that the Southern Railway should consider running AC trains during office rush hour. </p><p>The train, which has been allotted for Southern Railway, will run at a maximum speed of 110 km per hour and has been designed under slung electric propulsion system. The AC EMU is also equipped with a new generation bogie with fully suspended traction motors, wheel mounted disc brakes and air spring suspension at secondary stage, similar to Vande Bharat, the country’s premier train. </p><p>Stainless steel body coach with straight side walls, electrically operated double leaf automatic sliding doors, wide and large double sealed glass windows for panoramic view, sealed wider vestibule gangways, aluminium extruded modular luggage rack, and three-seater stainless steel seats in all coaches are some of the key features of the new train. </p><p>Like in Metro trains, the AC EMU will have GPS based LED displays for passenger information and announcement system and passenger talk-back facility at each doorway for emergencies. The train will have CCTV cameras in all compartments and the regenerative EP (Electro-Pneumatic) brake will save up to 35 per cent electrical energy due to regeneration. </p>
<p>Chennai: South India’s first air-conditioned Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) train began its services on Saturday on the busy Chennai Beach-Chengalpattu route with the Southern Railway introducing the services in peak Summer. With this, Chennai becomes the second city in the country after Mumbai to have AC EMU train services. </p><p>The 12-car EMU will ply between Chennai Beach-Chengalpattu and vice-versa four times a day except on Sundays and two times between Chennai Beach-Tambaram sections. While the minimum fare (up to 10 km) on the AC train, the maximum fare (50 km -60 km) is fixed at Rs 105, even as the Southern Railways announced monthly passes starting from Rs 620. </p><p>The new train with 12 coaches has been built on par with Metro coaches with a higher capacity of 1,116 seats and space for 3,798 standees. AC coaches in EMU trains were introduced in Mumbai in 2017 and since then there have been demands from Chennai, which has a robust EMU network, for an air conditioned coach. </p>.Chennai’s Urupaanar revives extinct instruments.<p>“I am so happy to travel on the first AC train. It is such a comfortable ride and we just hope that Southern Railway runs more AC services on the busy route. A lot of people are dependent on EMU locals to travel to Chennai and return to their homes,” Hemachandran, a working professional, said. </p><p>Chennai Beach-Chengalpattu and Chennai Beach-Tambaram are two busy routes that connect the city with many of its suburbs. “It is a welcome move that the trains have been introduced during peak summer,” Richard said, adding that the Southern Railway should consider running AC trains during office rush hour. </p><p>The train, which has been allotted for Southern Railway, will run at a maximum speed of 110 km per hour and has been designed under slung electric propulsion system. The AC EMU is also equipped with a new generation bogie with fully suspended traction motors, wheel mounted disc brakes and air spring suspension at secondary stage, similar to Vande Bharat, the country’s premier train. </p><p>Stainless steel body coach with straight side walls, electrically operated double leaf automatic sliding doors, wide and large double sealed glass windows for panoramic view, sealed wider vestibule gangways, aluminium extruded modular luggage rack, and three-seater stainless steel seats in all coaches are some of the key features of the new train. </p><p>Like in Metro trains, the AC EMU will have GPS based LED displays for passenger information and announcement system and passenger talk-back facility at each doorway for emergencies. The train will have CCTV cameras in all compartments and the regenerative EP (Electro-Pneumatic) brake will save up to 35 per cent electrical energy due to regeneration. </p>