Mumbai Railway Board to Launch Safer Non-AC Trains in 2026
MUMBAI : The Railway Board has stated that new, non-AC trains will be developed and produced with automatic door closure facilities to minimize mishaps after four people died and six others were injured when they fell from a local train in Mumbai during peak hours owing to congestion.
January 2026 has been set as the date for the Mumbai Suburban Railway network to introduce the first prototype of such a non-AC train with door closure capability.
According to sources, a delegation from the Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF) met with Railway Board officials and Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw following the incident in Mumbai.
According to sources, a significant topic of discussion during the meeting was the retrofitting of automatic doors in non-air-conditioned trains, which can result in asphyxia due to decreased airflow.
Following extensive deliberation, it was determined that three design modifications would address the major ventilation problem and that new, non-AC trains would be created and built. First, there will be louvres on the doors. Second, ventilation systems will be installed on coaches’ roofs to bring in fresh air. Additionally, the coaches will have vestibules to allow passengers to move between them and naturally distribute the population, according to the sources.
ICF Chennai was given the responsibility of creating a prototype for the new non-AC train, according to officials who attended the conference. By November 2025, the first train of this new design will be completed. By January 2026, it will be operational for public input following testing and certification by the Railway Safety Commissioner, according to a senior official.
