Vande Bharat Express

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14-Dec-2022: New and improved Vande Bharat 2.0 trains with enhanced safety features, better ride index and passenger amenities have been introduced

The new and improved Vande Bharat Ver 2.0 trains, with enhanced safety features, better ride index and passenger amenities, have been introduced after detailed trials, performance and safety testing of the train and its sub-systems. The following tests were conducted by Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) / Lucknow:-

  1. Oscillation trials @ 115 kmph on mainline tracks and at 180kmph on Rajdhani Tracks.
  2. Emergency Braking Distance Trials at 160 kmph and performance testing of Brake Systems.
  3. Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) / Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC), Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) and Pacemaker Tests.
  4. Noise and vibration tests.
  5. Tests on Propulsion and Train Control Systems.
  6. Fire and smoke detection tests.
  7. vii. Clearance by Electrical Inspector General to Government of India.
  8. Detailed safety inspection and running trial run at 180 kmph by Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS) / Ministry of Civil Aviation.
  9. Subsequent to mandatory safety and operation trial of the prototype train, Ministry of Railways has issued sanction for introduction of Vande Bharat Train set with new design propulsion system and bogies over Indian Railways.

Integral Chief Factory (ICF) / Chennai has already turned out three (3) rakes of new and improved version of Vande Bharat Ver.2 trains till November 2022, in addition to two (2) Vande Bharat Trains in service since 2019.  Regular production of Vande Bharat Ver.2 has started from ICF from September 2022.

Production of thirty-five (35) rakes in coach production programme 2022-23 and sixty seven (67) rakes in coach production programme 2023-24 have been issued. However, actual turnout depends on supply chain, which is developing rapidly.

In an effort to boost domestic production of wheels, a tender has been floated for inviting bids from prospective vendors to establish facilities for manufacturing and supply of about 15,40,000 wheels of different rolling stock to the Railways over the period of 20 years. Tender has been floated under Make-In-India wherein only class-1 loco suppliers with local content more than 60% are eligible. The tender is due to be opened on 24.01.2023.

The first rake of new and improved version of Vande Bharat Ver 2.0 was inaugurated on 30.09.2022 from Gandhinagar Capital to Mumbai Central in Western Railway and is running in regular service since 01.10.2022. An incidence of hit by cattle on 06.10.2022 was reported between Gairatpur and Vatva division. The incidence caused minor damage to Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) coupler cover with brackets of Coach No. 226430 / DTC. The train journey was completed without any issue further. The FRP coupler cover with brackets was repaired in Mumbai Central (MMCT) depot without affecting any disruption in train services onwards.

11-Dec-2022: PM flags off Vande Bharat Express from Nagpur Railway Station

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi flagged off Vande Bharat Express connecting Nagpur and Bilaspur from platform number 1 of the Nagpur Railway Station today.

The Prime Minister inspected the train coaches of the Vande Bharat Express and took stock of the onboard facilities. Shri Modi inspected the control centre of the locomotive engine of Vande Bharat Express and also took stock of the development plans of the Nagpur and Ajni Railway Stations. The travel time from Nagpur to Bilaspur will be reduced to 5 hours 30 mins from 7-8 hours.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Eknath Shinde, the Governor of Maharashtra, Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari, the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari when he arrived at Nagpur Railway Station.

Background

The introduction of the train will help boost tourism in the region and provide a comfortable and faster mode of travel. The travel time from Nagpur to Bilaspur will be 5 hours and 30 mins. This will be the sixth Vande Bharat train to be introduced in the country and is an advanced version compared to the earlier ones, being much lighter and capable of reaching higher speeds in a shorter duration. Vande Bharat 2.0 is equipped with more advancements and improved features such as reaching a speed of 0 to 100 kilometres per hour in just 52 seconds, and a maximum speed of up to 180 kilometres per hour. The improved Vande Bharat Express will weigh 392 tons when compared to the previous version of 430 tons. It will also have a Wi-Fi content on-demand facility. Every coach has 32” screens providing passenger information and infotainment compared to 24” in the previous version. Vande Bharat Express will also be environmentally friendly as the ACs will be 15 per cent more energy efficient. With dust-free clean air cooling of the traction motor, travel will become more comfortable. A side recliner seat facility provided only to Executive Class passengers earlier will now be made available for all classes. Executive Coaches have the added feature of 180-degree rotating seats.

In the new design of Vande Bharat Express, a photo-catalytic ultraviolet air purification system is installed in the Roof-Mounted Package Unit (RMPU) for air purification. As recommended by Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO), Chandigarh, this system is designed and installed on both ends of RMPU to filter and clean the air free from germs, bacteria, viruses etc. coming through fresh air and return air.

The Vande Bharat Express 2.0 offers various superior and aircraft-like travelling experiences. It is equipped with advanced state-of-the-art safety features including an indigenously developed Train Collision Avoidance System - KAVACH.

11-Nov-2022: Mysuru – Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. MGR Chennai Central Vande Bharat Express & Kashi Bharat Gaurav Trains flagged off by Hon’ble Prime Minister

Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi flagged off the Vande Bharat Express between Mysuru and Puratchi Thalaivar Dr MGR Chennai Central today at KSR Bengaluru Railway Station. This is the fifth Vande Bharat Express started in the country and the first such train of south India. The Prime Minister also flagged off Bharat Gaurav Kashi Darshan Train at KSR Railway Station, Bengaluru today.

As an excellent example of the ‘Make in India’ success story, the Indian Railways had launched India’s first indigenous Semi-High Speed train- Vande Bharat Express which was flagged off by Hon’ble Prime Minister on February 15, 2019 on the New Delhi – Kanpur- Allahabad –Varanasi route. Further, Vande Bharat Express trains have been commenced on New Delhi- Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, Gandhinagar Capital – Ahmedabad – Mumbai Central, and Amb Andaura – New Delhi routes.

This new train will enhance connectivity between the industrial hub of Chennai and the technological-software-startup hub of Bengaluru and the world-famous tourist city Mysuru. It will benefit software and business professionals, technologists, tourists, students, apart from regular passengers travelling on the Mysuru – Bengaluru - Chennai. It will offer airline-like comfort and redefine the travel experience by train.

Features of Vande Bharat Express

It is a world class train with modern facilities. Some of the salient features of this train are:

  • Equipped with the KAVACH (Train Collision Avoidance System) for enhanced safety in operations.
  • Improved safety with four emergency Windows in every coach. There are four platform side cameras including rear view cameras outside the coach.
  • Better fire safety measures with Aerosol based fire detection and Suppression system in all electrical cubicles and toilets.
  • Superior flood proofing for under-slung electrical equipment to withstand floods up to 650 mm height. The train will also have four emergency lights in every coach in case of electric failure.
  • Enhanced riding comfort for passengers at 3.5 riding index. It is also equipped with 32 inch LCD TVs and passenger information and communication system in the train.
  • Side recliner seat facility is made available for all classes. The Executive Coaches have the added feature of 180-degree rotating seats.
  • Bio vacuum toilets with touch free amenities and Wi-Fi content on demand.
  • Finer heat ventilation and air conditioning control through higher efficiency compressor, with Ultra Violet (UV) lamp for germ-free supply of air.
  • The train’s time to reach 160 kmph is just 140 seconds. There will be driver guard communication with voice recording facility.
  • Two signal exchange lights on the coaches for exchange of signal with the way side stations.

The Vande Bharat train, which has been manufactured indigenously at Integral Coach Factory, Perambur, Chennai - is a testimony to the capability of Indian engineers and a culmination of the Make in India initiative. It is a big milestone towards realizing the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister.

Bengaluru – Varanasi Bharat Gaurav Kashi Darshan

Bharat Gaurav Train from Bengaluru to Kashi has also been started which will offer comfortable and convenient rail travel, boarding, stay and darshan facilities in an all-inclusive package. This train will also go through Hubbali, Belagavi thereby benefiting not only the devotees of Bengaluru but also those from North Karnataka who wish to travel to Kashi. This train will go through Prayagraj and Ayodhya also.

The cost of the trip is Rs. 20,000 of which Rs. 5000 is provided as subsidy by the State govt. The first train journey will carry around 600 pilgrims; apart from Kashi, the pilgrims would also visit Ayodhya and Prayagraj.

The objective to run the Bharat Gaurav train to showcase India’s rich cultural heritage and magnificent historical places to the people of India and the world, through Bharat Gaurav Trains (Theme- based Tourist Circuit trains).

Brief Scope of Policy

  • Indian Railways aims to leverage the core strengths of the professionals of the tourism sector to run theme-based trains to tap the vast tourist potential of India.
  • Under this policy, registered Service Providers shall be offered rakes consisting of ICF coaches under “Right to Use” model by Indian Railways (IR) for operations of Bharat Gaurav Trains. Service Providers shall also have the option of procurement of new coaches directly from production units through the NRC (Non-Railway Customer) plan.
  • The Service Provider shall have the flexibility to decide the business model including themes, routes, itinerary, tariff and other attributes connected with this model

9-Sep-2022: New Vande Bharat trains to make the travel experience much better, with higher speed and more features

In the constant endeavor to give the best facilities to passengers, the Indian Railways will be introducing the new avatar of high speed train Vande Bharat i.e. Vande Bharat 2. Vande Bharat 2 will be equipped with more advancements and improved features like 0 to 100 Kmpl speed in just 52 second, maximum speed up to 180 Kmph, lesser weight of 392 ton instead of 430 ton and WI-FI content on demand. New Vande Bharat will also have 32-inch LCD TVs which was of 24 inch in earlier version. 15 percent more energy efficient ACs with dust free clean air cooling of traction motor will make the travel more comfortable. Side recliner seat facility which is being provided to Executive Class passengers, will now be made available for all classes.

In the new design of Vande Bharat Express, photo-catalytic ultra violet air purification system is installed in the roof mounted Roof Mounted Package Unit (RMPU) for air purification.  As recommended by Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO), Chandigarh, this system is designed and installed in both ends of RMPU to filter and clean the air free from germs, bacteria, virus, etc. coming through fresh air and return air.

Pin It
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14-Dec-2022: New and improved Vande Bharat 2.0 trains with enhanced safety features, better ride index and passenger amenities have been introduced

The new and improved Vande Bharat Ver 2.0 trains, with enhanced safety features, better ride index and passenger amenities, have been introduced after detailed trials, performance and safety testing of the train and its sub-systems. The following tests were conducted by Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) / Lucknow:-

  1. Oscillation trials @ 115 kmph on mainline tracks and at 180kmph on Rajdhani Tracks.
  2. Emergency Braking Distance Trials at 160 kmph and performance testing of Brake Systems.
  3. Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) / Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC), Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) and Pacemaker Tests.
  4. Noise and vibration tests.
  5. Tests on Propulsion and Train Control Systems.
  6. Fire and smoke detection tests.
  7. vii. Clearance by Electrical Inspector General to Government of India.
  8. Detailed safety inspection and running trial run at 180 kmph by Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS) / Ministry of Civil Aviation.
  9. Subsequent to mandatory safety and operation trial of the prototype train, Ministry of Railways has issued sanction for introduction of Vande Bharat Train set with new design propulsion system and bogies over Indian Railways.

Integral Chief Factory (ICF) / Chennai has already turned out three (3) rakes of new and improved version of Vande Bharat Ver.2 trains till November 2022, in addition to two (2) Vande Bharat Trains in service since 2019.  Regular production of Vande Bharat Ver.2 has started from ICF from September 2022.

Production of thirty-five (35) rakes in coach production programme 2022-23 and sixty seven (67) rakes in coach production programme 2023-24 have been issued. However, actual turnout depends on supply chain, which is developing rapidly.

In an effort to boost domestic production of wheels, a tender has been floated for inviting bids from prospective vendors to establish facilities for manufacturing and supply of about 15,40,000 wheels of different rolling stock to the Railways over the period of 20 years. Tender has been floated under Make-In-India wherein only class-1 loco suppliers with local content more than 60% are eligible. The tender is due to be opened on 24.01.2023.

The first rake of new and improved version of Vande Bharat Ver 2.0 was inaugurated on 30.09.2022 from Gandhinagar Capital to Mumbai Central in Western Railway and is running in regular service since 01.10.2022. An incidence of hit by cattle on 06.10.2022 was reported between Gairatpur and Vatva division. The incidence caused minor damage to Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) coupler cover with brackets of Coach No. 226430 / DTC. The train journey was completed without any issue further. The FRP coupler cover with brackets was repaired in Mumbai Central (MMCT) depot without affecting any disruption in train services onwards.

11-Dec-2022: PM flags off Vande Bharat Express from Nagpur Railway Station

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi flagged off Vande Bharat Express connecting Nagpur and Bilaspur from platform number 1 of the Nagpur Railway Station today.

The Prime Minister inspected the train coaches of the Vande Bharat Express and took stock of the onboard facilities. Shri Modi inspected the control centre of the locomotive engine of Vande Bharat Express and also took stock of the development plans of the Nagpur and Ajni Railway Stations. The travel time from Nagpur to Bilaspur will be reduced to 5 hours 30 mins from 7-8 hours.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Eknath Shinde, the Governor of Maharashtra, Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari, the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari when he arrived at Nagpur Railway Station.

Background

The introduction of the train will help boost tourism in the region and provide a comfortable and faster mode of travel. The travel time from Nagpur to Bilaspur will be 5 hours and 30 mins. This will be the sixth Vande Bharat train to be introduced in the country and is an advanced version compared to the earlier ones, being much lighter and capable of reaching higher speeds in a shorter duration. Vande Bharat 2.0 is equipped with more advancements and improved features such as reaching a speed of 0 to 100 kilometres per hour in just 52 seconds, and a maximum speed of up to 180 kilometres per hour. The improved Vande Bharat Express will weigh 392 tons when compared to the previous version of 430 tons. It will also have a Wi-Fi content on-demand facility. Every coach has 32” screens providing passenger information and infotainment compared to 24” in the previous version. Vande Bharat Express will also be environmentally friendly as the ACs will be 15 per cent more energy efficient. With dust-free clean air cooling of the traction motor, travel will become more comfortable. A side recliner seat facility provided only to Executive Class passengers earlier will now be made available for all classes. Executive Coaches have the added feature of 180-degree rotating seats.

In the new design of Vande Bharat Express, a photo-catalytic ultraviolet air purification system is installed in the Roof-Mounted Package Unit (RMPU) for air purification. As recommended by Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO), Chandigarh, this system is designed and installed on both ends of RMPU to filter and clean the air free from germs, bacteria, viruses etc. coming through fresh air and return air.

The Vande Bharat Express 2.0 offers various superior and aircraft-like travelling experiences. It is equipped with advanced state-of-the-art safety features including an indigenously developed Train Collision Avoidance System - KAVACH.

11-Nov-2022: Mysuru – Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. MGR Chennai Central Vande Bharat Express & Kashi Bharat Gaurav Trains flagged off by Hon’ble Prime Minister

Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi flagged off the Vande Bharat Express between Mysuru and Puratchi Thalaivar Dr MGR Chennai Central today at KSR Bengaluru Railway Station. This is the fifth Vande Bharat Express started in the country and the first such train of south India. The Prime Minister also flagged off Bharat Gaurav Kashi Darshan Train at KSR Railway Station, Bengaluru today.

As an excellent example of the ‘Make in India’ success story, the Indian Railways had launched India’s first indigenous Semi-High Speed train- Vande Bharat Express which was flagged off by Hon’ble Prime Minister on February 15, 2019 on the New Delhi – Kanpur- Allahabad –Varanasi route. Further, Vande Bharat Express trains have been commenced on New Delhi- Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, Gandhinagar Capital – Ahmedabad – Mumbai Central, and Amb Andaura – New Delhi routes.

This new train will enhance connectivity between the industrial hub of Chennai and the technological-software-startup hub of Bengaluru and the world-famous tourist city Mysuru. It will benefit software and business professionals, technologists, tourists, students, apart from regular passengers travelling on the Mysuru – Bengaluru - Chennai. It will offer airline-like comfort and redefine the travel experience by train.

Features of Vande Bharat Express

It is a world class train with modern facilities. Some of the salient features of this train are:

  • Equipped with the KAVACH (Train Collision Avoidance System) for enhanced safety in operations.
  • Improved safety with four emergency Windows in every coach. There are four platform side cameras including rear view cameras outside the coach.
  • Better fire safety measures with Aerosol based fire detection and Suppression system in all electrical cubicles and toilets.
  • Superior flood proofing for under-slung electrical equipment to withstand floods up to 650 mm height. The train will also have four emergency lights in every coach in case of electric failure.
  • Enhanced riding comfort for passengers at 3.5 riding index. It is also equipped with 32 inch LCD TVs and passenger information and communication system in the train.
  • Side recliner seat facility is made available for all classes. The Executive Coaches have the added feature of 180-degree rotating seats.
  • Bio vacuum toilets with touch free amenities and Wi-Fi content on demand.
  • Finer heat ventilation and air conditioning control through higher efficiency compressor, with Ultra Violet (UV) lamp for germ-free supply of air.
  • The train’s time to reach 160 kmph is just 140 seconds. There will be driver guard communication with voice recording facility.
  • Two signal exchange lights on the coaches for exchange of signal with the way side stations.

The Vande Bharat train, which has been manufactured indigenously at Integral Coach Factory, Perambur, Chennai - is a testimony to the capability of Indian engineers and a culmination of the Make in India initiative. It is a big milestone towards realizing the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister.

Bengaluru – Varanasi Bharat Gaurav Kashi Darshan

Bharat Gaurav Train from Bengaluru to Kashi has also been started which will offer comfortable and convenient rail travel, boarding, stay and darshan facilities in an all-inclusive package. This train will also go through Hubbali, Belagavi thereby benefiting not only the devotees of Bengaluru but also those from North Karnataka who wish to travel to Kashi. This train will go through Prayagraj and Ayodhya also.

The cost of the trip is Rs. 20,000 of which Rs. 5000 is provided as subsidy by the State govt. The first train journey will carry around 600 pilgrims; apart from Kashi, the pilgrims would also visit Ayodhya and Prayagraj.

The objective to run the Bharat Gaurav train to showcase India’s rich cultural heritage and magnificent historical places to the people of India and the world, through Bharat Gaurav Trains (Theme- based Tourist Circuit trains).

Brief Scope of Policy

  • Indian Railways aims to leverage the core strengths of the professionals of the tourism sector to run theme-based trains to tap the vast tourist potential of India.
  • Under this policy, registered Service Providers shall be offered rakes consisting of ICF coaches under “Right to Use” model by Indian Railways (IR) for operations of Bharat Gaurav Trains. Service Providers shall also have the option of procurement of new coaches directly from production units through the NRC (Non-Railway Customer) plan.
  • The Service Provider shall have the flexibility to decide the business model including themes, routes, itinerary, tariff and other attributes connected with this model

9-Sep-2022: New Vande Bharat trains to make the travel experience much better, with higher speed and more features

In the constant endeavor to give the best facilities to passengers, the Indian Railways will be introducing the new avatar of high speed train Vande Bharat i.e. Vande Bharat 2. Vande Bharat 2 will be equipped with more advancements and improved features like 0 to 100 Kmpl speed in just 52 second, maximum speed up to 180 Kmph, lesser weight of 392 ton instead of 430 ton and WI-FI content on demand. New Vande Bharat will also have 32-inch LCD TVs which was of 24 inch in earlier version. 15 percent more energy efficient ACs with dust free clean air cooling of traction motor will make the travel more comfortable. Side recliner seat facility which is being provided to Executive Class passengers, will now be made available for all classes.

In the new design of Vande Bharat Express, photo-catalytic ultra violet air purification system is installed in the roof mounted Roof Mounted Package Unit (RMPU) for air purification.  As recommended by Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO), Chandigarh, this system is designed and installed in both ends of RMPU to filter and clean the air free from germs, bacteria, virus, etc. coming through fresh air and return air.

2019

3-Oct-2019: Shri Amit Shah flags off the ‘Made in India’, New Delhi-Katra 'Vande Bharat' Express

Union Minister for Home Affairs, Shri Amit Shah flagged off the New Delhi-Katra 'Vande Bharat' Express, in New Delhi. This is the second ‘Vande Bharat’ express after the New Delhi - Varanasi semi-high speed train flagged off by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi in February this year. The coaches of this train are indigenously manufactured at the Chennai Rail coach factory.

Shri Shah said, religious tourism has a very important role in the development and progress of Jammu-Kashmir. Every citizen of India has a desire to visit Vaishnodevi Temple at least once in the lifetime. From the day he took charge, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi put forward a vision to connect places of religious interest across the country with a safe, efficient and comfortable high-speed railway network. A number of steps have already been taken by the government to facilitate pilgrims to visit the places of their religious interest. The ‘Vande Bharat’ express is one big step in that direction while keeping in mind speed, scale and service as the prime priority.

Shri Shah said that PM visualises Railways as the lifeline to achieve his vision of a $5 trillion economy. ‘Vande Bharat’ is a hallmark of the success of 'Make in India' and the potential that it holds in giving a boost to the economy. This is evident with the speed at which the development and modernisation of railways is taking place under Shri Modi's leadership. Railways must keep this fast paced development profile going on in full steam and achieve Prime Minister's vision of a $5 trillion economy, in the same way as Railways played a major role in the success of Bapu's freedom struggle.

Remembering Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th anniversary, Shri Shah said that Bapu gave a philosophy to the world of how to derive simple solutions to the biggest of problems. One such philosophy during the freedom movement was 'Swadeshi' and railways played an integral part in Gandhiji's struggle for freedom by forming a connect with the people of India. Shri Shah expressed pride in saying that this ‘Vande Bharat’ express is totally ‘Swadeshi’ and is at par with the latest rail transport technology across the world. This train is a big tribute that Shri Modi has given to the ideals of Bapu, with his vision of 'Make in India'. The Home Minister urged the Railway Minister to chart out the role of Railways in Gandhiji's journey during the freedom struggle, during the 'Gandhi@150' celebrations.

14-Feb-2019: India’s First Semi High Speed Train, “Vande Bharat Express" to be flagged off by PM tomorrow

The ‘Make in India’ effort of Indian Railways has culminated into India's first Semi High Speed Train, "Vande Bharat Express".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the maiden run of the train on New Delhi-Kanpur-Allahabad-Varanasi route train from the New Delhi Railway Station. He will inspect the facilities in the train and address a gathering on this occasion.

Union Minister of Railways and Coal, Shri Piyush Goyal will lead the team of officials and media persons aboard the train on its inaugural run. It will stop at Kanpur and Allahabad where it will be received by dignitaries and the people.

Vande Bharat Express can run up to a maximum speed of 160 kmph and has travel classes like Shatabdi Train but with better facilities. It aims to provide a totally new travel experience to passengers.

The Train will cover the distance between New Delhi and Varanasi in 8 hours and will run on all days except Mondays and Thursdays.

All coaches are equipped with automatic doors, GPS based audio-visual passenger information system, on-board hotspot Wi-Fi for entertainment purposes, and very comfortable seating. All toilets are bio-vacuum type. The lighting is dual mode, viz. diffused for general illumination and personal for every seat. Every coach has a pantry with facility to serve hot meals, hot and cold beverages. The insulation is meant to keep heat and noise to very low levels for additional passenger comfort.

Vande Bharat Express has 16 air-conditioned coaches of which 2 are executive class coaches. The total seating capacity is 1,128 passengers. It is much more than the conventional Shatabdi rake of equal number of coaches, thanks to shifting of all electric equipment below the coaches and seats in the driving coach also.

Adding up the green footprints, the train has regenerative braking system in the Vande Bharat Express coaches which can save up to 30% of electrical energy.

Speed, Safety and Service are the hallmarks of this train. Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, a Railways Production unit, has been the force behind a completely in-house design and manufacture, computer modelling and working with a large number of suppliers for system integration in just 18 months.

In keeping with the vision of Prime Minister’s vision of "Make in India", the major systems of the train have been designed and built in India. Impact of this train, matching global standards of performance, safety and passenger comfort and yet costing less than half of global prices, has the potential to be a game changer in the global rail business.

27-Jan-2019: Vande Bharat Express

Minister of Railways & Coal, Shri Piyush Goyal announced the name Vande Bharat Express for Train 18, acknowledging its made-in-India status. He called it a ‘vandaniya’ step towards realisation of New India vision. This train set has been manufactured by Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in the period of 18 months under 'Make in India' program.

Since the launch of Rajdhani trains, Vande Bharat Express is the next major leap for Indian Railways in terms of speed and convenience. It is India's first semi-high speed train equipped with world class passenger amenities.

It can achieve high speeds (max speed of 160 kmph) due to faster acceleration & deceleration and will reduce journey time by 25% to 45%. Scheduled commute between New Delhi & Varanasi will take approximately 8 hours making it 40-50% faster than the fastest train currently connecting these two cities.

Vande Bharat Express incorporates many modern features which debut for the very first time on Indian Railways. It has been provided with ‘State of the Art’ passenger amenities like On-board Wi-Fi entertainment, GPS based passenger information system, CCTVs, bio-vacuum toilets, rotating chairs in executive class, etc. at par with global standards. It also has provision of Divyang-friendly facilities. It will have 16 coaches with Chair Car type configuration with 2 Executive Class Chair Cars and 14 Chair Cars.

Further, it has intelligent braking system with power regeneration for better energy efficiency thereby making it cost, energy and environment efficient.

Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been requested to flag off this train. This is a momentous progress towards New India.

2018

2-Dec-2018: India’s first engine-less train, Train 18, breaches 180 kmph during trials

India’s first self-powered engine-less train, known as Train 18 breached the 180 kilometre per hour (kmph) speed limit during a trial run. Designed to run at 160 kmph, the Train 18 breached the 180 kmph mark in the Kota-Sawai Madhopur section becoming the first train in the Indian Railway to travel at such speed.

Train 18 may commence its commercial run from January 2019. Normally the trials take three months. But now it is happening faster than expected. Initially, the Railways will roll out two Train 18s with 16-17 coaches each.

Train 18 is capable of touching 200 kmph but tracks in the Indian Railways’ network will need to be upgraded for that. According to a report, only 0.3% of India’s rail tracks, spread over 60,000 km, are fit to handle trains running at the speed of up to 160 km per hour.

The Train 18 had earlier successfully completed trials at a speed of up to 130 km per hour in Moradabad. It was moved to Kota in Rajasthan for trials at the speed of up to 160 km per hour.

With Rotating seats which can be aligned in the direction of travel in executive class, modular toilets with bio-vacuum system, modular luggage rack with glass bottom, sliding doors in coaches and continuous window glasses for contemporary modern look, this make in India initiative of the Indian Railways’ is full of modern facilities.

It will be provided with automatic plug type doors with retractable footsteps, which will open and close automatically at the stations. To provide entertainment, all coaches of the train will be provided with on board Wi-fi, infotainment and GPS based passenger information system (PIS) which will keep the passengers informed about the travel status. All coaches will be chair car type for day travel.