One hundred years of electric local trains in Mumbai/Bombay, India

Electric Multiple Units (EMUs), also known as local trains in Mumbai, this month completed 100 years. On February 3, 1925, history was made when India’s first electric train, consisting of four coaches, using 1500 Volt DC from overhead, ran between Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, CSMT) and Kurla on the Harbour Line, a distance of 9.5 miles. (In the year 1957, Indian Railways decided to adopt 25 kV 50 Hz AC traction based on French Railway (SNCF) technology.)

"On that historic day in 1925, Sir Leslie Wilson, then Governor of Bombay, arrived at Victoria Terminus with Lady Wilson in a regal horse-drawn carriage to grace the inauguration ceremony. The first electric train—comprising four coaches—was flagged off at 10:00 AM from Platform No. 2 amid great fanfare. The honor of driving this pioneering Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) train was given to Jehangir Framji Daruwala, who earned his place in history as India’s first motorman for an electric train.

"This event marked the dawn of electrified rail transport in India and across Asia, bringing about a revolutionary shift in railway operations. Electrification significantly improved efficiency, reduced travel time, enhanced punctuality, and provided a cost-effective and sustainable mode of transport," said an official of Indian Railway.

Motor Coach of the first electric train.

"The electrification of railways transformed train travel in India, eliminating the need for frequent engine changes, reducing delays, improving reliability, and lowering operational costs. It also enhanced the cleanliness of rail transport by reducing dependence on coal-powered steam engines," further added the official.