MEMU
| Mainline Electric Multiple Unit | |
|---|---|
 A MEMU at Kollam | |
| Overview | |
| Owner | Indian Railways |
| Locale | India |
| Transit type | Rapid Transit |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | Indian gauge |
The Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) is the Indian Railways designation of the commuter rail system in India for semi-urban and rural areas.[citation needed] The trains differ from the normal electric multiple units (EMU) that are designed for urban and semi-urban areas.[citation needed]
History
The first MEMU service in India was started in Bilaspur railway division of South Eastern Railway zone on 17th Oct 1995 on Raipur–Durg–Bhatapara–Raipur–Bilaspur route.[citation needed] The first 20 coach MEMU ran between Surat to Virar in 2017.[citation needed]
Operation
The system uses electrical multiple units[1][2] operating on 25 kV AC drawn from overhead lines. A MEMU train has 8 vestibule connected coaches. They are formed of 2 basic units, each of 1 motorcoach and three trailer coaches. The trailer coaches have two toilets for public use as the train can run up to 200 km in between two carshed periods. The rakes have a maximum permitted speed of 105 km/h on broad gauge tracks. It uses the DC traction motors. Recently ICF flagged off a LHB hybrid AC-AC MEMU rake based on the 1600 HP Medha DEMU architecture. These rakes use asynchronous traction motors and have a maximum designed speed of 110 km/h. These use a stainless steel body and modular toilets installed in them. Two of them have been handed over to South Central Railways.
IR is progressively going to replace locomotive-hauled passenger and intercity trains because they have faster acceleration and deceleration.
Advantage over locomotive hauled passenger trains
- Fast acceleration
- No need of separate locomotive
- Easy to drive: Loco pilots trained to operate old and new sub-urban trains can actually operate them
- Are more powerful compared to sub-urban EMU.
- Uses less energy for the same number of coaches
- Can be extended to 20 coaches on demand
Manufacturing
MEMU are manufactured at RCF, Kapurthala, and ICF, Chennai. Rakes are maintained in the Titlagarh coach maintenance shops.[citation needed] The newest ICF MEMU rakes are assembled at ICF after the factory has gone through a radical upgradation in manufacturing equipments.[citation needed]
References
- ^ "SCR starts 2 Memu trains". Times of India. July 20, 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ Express News Service (December 9, 2011). "Corporation adamant on saving MEMU dream". CNN-IBM. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
External links
- Express News Service (July 29, 2009). "Railway introduces passenger-friendly technology in MEMU trains". Indian Express.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - List of all MEMU trains operated by Indian Railways
- MEMU/DEMU Electric/Diesel Multiple Unit Shuttle Trains - Railway Enquiry
- Indian Railways Fan Club Photo Gallery: MEMU
