GURGAON/NEW DELHI: Short- and medium-distance rail travel will become smoother in the near future with the introduction of 100 next-generation Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) trains and 50 Namo Bharat trains, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday.Announcing the move, Vaishnaw said: “Yesterday (Monday) we made a major decision to manufacture 100 new MEMU trains. These trains will have 16-20 coaches compared to 8-12 coaches in currently operational ones. These trains will be manufactured at a new factory in Kazipet, Telangana. They will greatly facilitate short-distance travel”.The MEMU trains — electric trains designed for short and medium-distance routes, particularly in non-urban and semi-urban areas — with the capacity to carry more passengers would help cater to increased demand during festive seasons.Vaishnaw said that given the very positive response to the two Namo Bharat trains operating on Ahmedabad-Bhuj and Jayanagar-Patna routes, 50 more of them will be manufactured. Namo Bharat trains are fully AC trains suited for short-distance travel, particularly on intercity routes. With Monday’s decision, 150 new passenger trains will thus enter service in the near future.Highlighting govt’s focus on affordable rail travel, Vaishnaw said railways added 1,200 general coaches to its fleet last year. In fact, the drive to introduce more general coaches to meet passenger demand had been continuing for more than two-and-a-half years. In 2024-25, around 720 cr passengers traveled by trains in India, he pointed out.On the rollout of Amrit Bharat trains, the minister said: “Three Amrit Bharat trains are currently operational and have received overwhelming public response. In the coming days, six more will be launched. The production of another 50 trains is underway, with more batches to follow”.
