The first stainless steel body Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit (MEMU) with three-phase AC propulsion unit was flagged off today from the Integral Coach Factory. It will run in South East Central Railway.

MEMU train-sets cater to the needs of medium distance inter-city passengers. The train-sets with the Indian Railways network run on the conventional Direct Current traction system.

8-car train sets

ICF has now rolled out eight-car MEMU train sets for the first time with a three-phase AC propulsion system and stainless steel body.

The traction system is energy-efficient and provides improved acceleration and braking performance and can, therefore, run faster compared to the conventional locomotive-hauled passenger trains, a press release from ICF said.

The total carrying capacity of an MEMU rake is 2,402 passengers and will have eight coaches. The maximum speed of the new MEMU rake is 110 kmph, the release said.

Flag-off

The first three-phase MEMU rake was flagged off from the Furnishing Division of ICF by the senior-most staff member of the division in the presence of M Dasarathy, former Member (Mechanical), Railway Board, and Vijaya Kanth, former Financial Commissioner, Railway Board.

The new MEMU rakes have CCTV facility for enhanced passenger safety, GPS-based Passenger Information System and Passenger Address System and fibre-reinforced polymer interior panels, the release said.