In what formations do EMU’s run?

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In what formations do EMU’s run?

July 9, 2019, 12:18 PM

Many different EMU formations have been used in different areas. In the 1930’s, Madras suburban service started with 3-car EMUs which were notable in having coupled bogies across cars, thereby making the entire 3-car formation a rigid unit. Later Madras also got some 4-car (non-rigid) EMUs. They were sometimes operated in pairs at rush hours, leading to 6-car (two rigid) and 8-car (two non-rigid) formations, and rarely 7-car formations (one 3-car rigid and one 4-car)

In the 1960’s Madras received a couple of 2-car EMUs. Following the conversion of the traction from DC to AC, the 3-car EMUs (which were built for DC) were coupled with a single AC power car to make hybrid 4-car formations. More recently 12-car (4+4+4) formations have been common. In these, the power car is usually one of the middle cars in a 4-car unit. NR uses 12-car formations for some long EMU runs (e.g., Ghaziabad-Mathura).

10-car formations were seen rarely (two 3-car rigid EMUs with a 4-car EMU) in Madras. While the MRTS in Chennai normally runs 9-car EMUs; however, in an effort to increase service frequency 3-car rakes have been introduced [5/01]. These have two power cars (driving power car at one end, and trailing power car at the other end), unusual for such short trains. New Delhi has seen 6-car and 8-car EMUs, but now up to 12-coach EMU and MEMU rakes are seen. The power cars (motorcoaches) are usually in positions 1, 3, 10, and 12.

In Mumbai, 9-car formations were standard for a long time (from 1963). (Much earlier, 4-car rakes were in use, with 8-car rakes having started on the main line from 1927.) Then in 1988 the 12-car formation became common (having been used on a trial basis from 1986), following increased demand for services and lengthening of platforms. There is now [7/99] talk of introducing 16-car formations for some services. Churchgate-Virar was expected [8/00] to have 15-car or 16-car services soon but this seems to have been delayed. A 15-car rake was commissioned by WR from Siemens for trial runs on the Dadar-Virar stretch, but as of [8/09] did not seem to have been brought into active use. 12-car formations have been introduced for the Pune-Lonavla/Talegaon EMU services. 15-car rakes were then introduced [11/09] for Dadar-Virar services, and extended later [1/11] to Churchgate. Siemens rakes came [1/10] into regular use on WR and also on CR. Siemens rakes are now [1/10] used on CR’s Harbour Line as well (it was thought that they might require modifications to accommodate different clearances on this line, but it appears that these are the same rakes that run elsewhere).

In all these formations, the basic unit consists of 3 cars coupled together: a driving trailer (“C”), a motorcoach or power car (“B”), and a trailer coach (“A”). The 9-car rake therefore looks like this: YSYL – YSZZ – YSFS – YSYL – YSZZ – YSFS – YSFS – YSZZ – YSYL. (YSYL = trailer coach with vendor’s compartment, YSYL = driving trailer coach, YSZZ = motor coach). In the late 1960s, WR introduced a “standees” train with far fewer seats. In this rake (#701-702), one of the unused driving trailer in the middle was replaced by a power car. This 9 coach rake therefore had four power cars. Update [7/06]: The standee train was changed to run with only 3 power cars. Later [2010?] the standees train was taken out of service.

1950s stock EMUs from various suppliers had two units of 4 coaches each: 2 driving motor cars (power cars) and two trailer coaches sandwiched between them, so that an 8-car EMU rake had 4 power cars. While these 8-car rakes were used on the main line, 4-car rakes were used on the Harbour line, from about 1927. These 4-car units were dropped later as they put too high a load on the OHE power supply, and all 8-car rakes were converted to 9-car rakes by 1963. On the Kalyan-Kasara/Karjat sections the 4-car rakes were converted to 6-car rakes in 1964.

[12/10] In DC as well as AC-DC EMU rakes in the Mumbai area, the second car from the front is usually the power car and has a pantograph; the AC EMUs and MEMUs in other places have a power car with a pantograph in the leading position.

SER plans to run 12-car EMU formations (announced in 2001) on the Howrah-Kharagpur line. Currently [8/05] it runs 9-car rakes and sometimes 10-car rakes. MEMU rakes of SER have 8 coaches. Sealdah 9-car rakes usually have a formation like this: YSZZ – YS – YS – YS – YSZZ – YS – YS – YS – YSZZ. The YS coaches next to the leading and trailing motor coaches (YSZZ) are usually ladies’ coaches and have vendor compartments. [4/01] Services with 12-car EMU rakes have begun (two or three of these are with the Sealdah section, and on Howrah-Mednipur) replacing some of the 10-car rakes used earlier. The 12-car rakes have power cars in the first, fourth, ninth, and twelfth positions. Sealdah Main section mostly 9-car rakes and Sealdah South mostly uses 10-car rakes. Howrah-Kharagpur/Paskura/Mecheda currently use 8-, 9-, or 10-car EMU rakes. In the Calcutta area, for a long time AC EMU rakes were made up of 4-car units, consisting of a driving trailer (“A”), a power car (“B”), a trailer (“C”) and a driving trailer (“D”).

Source – IFRCA.org

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