The Ministry of Railways has prioritised manufacturing of 238 air-conditioned electric multiple unit (AC EMU) rakes at its production units to ensure rolling stock availability for the Mumbai Suburban Railway as infrastructure under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) is commissioned. The production will be undertaken at Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala and Modern Coach Factory, Raebareli. The move was announced by the Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to align rolling stock induction with network upgrades.

An indicative production programme allocates 120 rakes to Integral Coach Factory, 71 rakes to Rail Coach Factory and 47 rakes to Modern Coach Factory, taking the total to 238 rakes. The Railway Board has approved procurement of the sanctioned AC EMU rakes on existing and proven RDSO and ICF specifications to expedite manufacture and supply. Indian Railways production units are described as having demonstrated capability in manufacturing modern passenger rolling stock, including air-conditioned EMUs, Vande Bharat trainsets and Vande Metro trainsets.

Supply of the rakes is planned to commence from 2027 with completion of the entire sanctioned quantity scheduled by 2030. Availability of the first trainsets during 2027, followed by phased delivery through to 2030, is expected to bridge the gap between infrastructure commissioning and rolling stock induction. This sequencing aims to enable optimum utilisation of newly commissioned suburban infrastructure and reduce delays in service enhancement.

The Minister linked the initiative to a broader vision for rail modernisation led by the Prime Minister, drawing a comparison with the highway expansion initiated under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He indicated that this vision of a four-lane railway network includes targeted investments exceeding Rs one trillion (tn) directed towards Odisha to modernise connectivity. The prioritised manufacture of AC EMU rakes is presented as a step to synchronise rolling stock supply with infrastructure investment and support improved suburban mobility.