With a few days left for the city's first air-conditioned local to undergo a long-pending overhaul, the Western Railway finally managed to get a second AC local on tracks on Thursday. With this, commuters won't all have to sweat it out in the muggy month of September, when the first and hitherto the only AC local would be in a railway yard, undergoing periodic maintenance and repairs. As the second AC local was rolled out, sources revealed that some of its technical issues remain to be resolved, but that wouldn't interfere with its operations.
DNA had earlier reported about the issues with the second AC local, even as the first one was scheduled to be taken off the tracks for maintenance by August 31 This replaced the first one on August 22.
For the past several days now, the WR had been working on addressing the issues plaguing the second AC local. Over the past two months now the authorities had been correcting glitches in software connected to door closure. Sources said that it was not responding but now the necessary corrections have been done that will prevent opening of wrong door when buttons are pressed. The indicator panels inside the coach were also not working properly and circuit breakers are tripping while the train was in motion. Moreover supply of electricity through the transformers and traction motors inside also have technical issues.
"All issues have been addressed and this train first ran on line from August 22. However we have kept the first AC local on stand-by in case the second AC local undergoes sudden trouble," said a WR official. The first AC local shall be kept inside the carshed for at least 8-10 days until second AC local gets into schedule.
