MUMBAI, July 15 -- Central Railway (CR) has introduced a new operating protocol for its AC local trains with immediate effect after three passengers fell ill on Monday morning inside an AC train. The mishap happened inside the 8.33 am Titwala-CSMT AC local, where the cooling system failed to work for around 16 minutes. On Tuesday, CR officials said that the new protocol had already been communicated to the motormen. "The passengers will now be deboarded at the next station if an AC local develops a fault in the cooling system and the rake will be withdrawn from service for inspection and repairs," said a CR official, adding that the reasons behind Monday's AC breakdown were still being investigated. According to CR officials, in the incident inside the Titwala-CSMT AC train, the train traction supervisor was unable to access the affected coach while the train was in motion. "This prevented an on-board inspection of the fault. The rake had not reported defects when it left the car shed and the problem developed during the journey," said the official. The AC system in the Titwala-CSMT train stopped functioning after the train crossed Diva, but it continued its journey for nearly 15 to 16 minutes thereafter till it reached Mulund. It was only after passengers complained of suffocation and three commuters fell ill that the train was halted. The staff later operated the train with its doors open between Mulund and Kurla to improve ventilation before withdrawing the rake at Kurla for a detailed examination....