MUMBAI, Aug. 24 -- Mumbai's suburban railway network will receive 238 air-conditioned (AC) local trains, starting next year, but the Indian Railways has not addressed the question: where will these trains be parked? While land acquisition for two new car sheds, at Vangaon (Western Railway) and Bhivpuri (Central Railway), is almost complete, the expansion of six car sheds on both the suburban stretches is yet to begin. These car sheds are at Kalwa, Kurla, Sanpada, Kandivali, Virar, and Mumbai Central. Together, they currently accommodate over 270 trains. Railway authorities say the expansion will cost Rs.199 crore. The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), which is developing the new car sheds, said the Vangaon shed will require over 43 hectares of land, of which 3.64 hectares is private land. The compensation sum has been disbursed to landowners, while the rest is forest land. For the Bhivpuri car shed, 45 hectares will be required, of which 42 hectares is private land and the rest is government land. "Work on the car shed here has gained momentum, with contracts awarded for land development, extension of bridges, boundary wall, drainage and road work awarded in August last year," a MRVC official said. With the first batch of the 238 AC locals expected to arrive next year, the absence of adequate parking and maintenance infrastructure has exposed what critics describe as a serious gap in planning. The immediate solution is to upgrade the six existing sheds. These facilities continue to maintain the present fleet of 12-car and 15-car non-AC trains while simultaneously creating space for a rapidly expanding AC fleet. Sources said there is a need to develop new car sheds. The 238-rake programme has been split among three railway production units to avoid delays. The Integral Coach Factory in Chennai will manufacture 120 rakes, the Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala will produce 71 and the Modern Coach Factory in Raebareli will manufacture 47. The first trains are expected in 2027 and the entire fleet is targeted for induction by 2030....