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== Inaugural run and entry into service ==
== Inaugural run and entry into service ==
The train set has been flagged off for an inaugural run by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, on 15 February 2019,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businesstoday.in/current/economy-politics/train-18-pm-modi-to-flag-off-vande-bharat-express-on-february-15-from-new-delhi/story/317978.html|title=Train 18: PM Modi to flag off Vande Bharat Express on February 15 from New Delhi|work=Business Today|date=2019-02-07|accessdate=2019-02-17}}</ref> with its commercial run starting from 17 February 2019 onwards. The train broke down on its first trip on 16 February, with officials citing brake failure secondary to striking cattle as the cause.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-47264743|title=India's fastest train falters on first trip|date=16 February 2019|via=www.bbc.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=India high speed train breaks down on first trip|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-47264743|work=[[BBC News]]|date=2019-02-16|accessdate=2019-02-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=India's fastest train breaks down, day after launch|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/17/asia/india-train-breakdown-intl/|author=Manveena Suri|website=CNN|date=2019-02-17|accessdate=2019-02-17}}</ref>
The train set has been flagged off for an inaugural run by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, on 15 February 2019,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businesstoday.in/current/economy-politics/train-18-pm-modi-to-flag-off-vande-bharat-express-on-february-15-from-new-delhi/story/317978.html|title=Train 18: PM Modi to flag off Vande Bharat Express on February 15 from New Delhi|work=Business Today|date=2019-02-07|accessdate=2019-02-17}}</ref> with its commercial run starting from 17 February 2019 onwards. The train broke down on while returning to Delhi, after its inaugural trip, on 16 February, with officials citing brake failure secondary to striking cattle as the cause.


It will be running on the Delhi-Varanasi route,<ref name="ndtv" /> via Kanpur and Prayagraj, connecting the Prime minister's Lok Sabha seat to the Capital city, reducing travel time along the route by 15 percent.<ref name="express24" /> The train's regenerative brakes are also expected to allow a 30% savings in electricity costs as compared to its predecessor.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.uniindia.com/news/india/t-18-train-with-a-brain-is-railways-engineering-marvel/1404772.html|title=T 18: Train with a brain is Railways 'engineering marvel'|last=|first=|date=14 November 2018|work=[[United News of India]]|access-date=}}</ref> At an operating speed of {{convert|160|kph}}, it will outpace the [[Shatabdi Express]] by {{convert|30|kph}}.<ref name="ndtv">{{cite news|title=Pics: Train 18 To Begin Trial Run Today. Here Are 10 Things To Know|url=https://www.ndtv.com/business/train-18-indias-fastest-train-route-launch-date-today-features-engineless-rotating-seats-in-pictures-1939151|accessdate=4 November 2018|work=[[NDTV Profit]]|publisher=NDTV|date=29 October 2018}}</ref> Although the trainset has been tested for speeds up to 180 kph, operational speed has been capped at 130 kph as an internal report by Indian Railways indicated that just 0.3% of the company's track is capable of supporting speeds of that magnitude.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/just-0-3-of-railway-tracks-fit-for-trains-running-at-160km-hour/story-F5BhXi48ik6M5Ul63ZNRiM.html|title=Just 0.3% of railway tracks fit for trains running at 160km/hour|last=Haidar|first=Faizan|date=27 November 2018|newspaper=[[Hindustan Times]]|access-date=16 February 2019|location=[[New Delhi]], [[India]]}}</ref> Every other car on the train is motorised.<ref name="unitedtrial" /> The 8 hour journey from New Delhi to Varanasi station has the base fare of ₹1,239.00 and covers the total distance of about 775 kilometers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.irctc.co.in/nget/train-list|title=INDIAN RAILWAY CATERING & TOURISM CORPORATION LTD.|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref>
It will be running on the Delhi-Varanasi route,<ref name="ndtv" /> via Kanpur and Prayagraj, connecting the Prime minister's Lok Sabha seat to the Capital city, reducing travel time along the route by 15 percent.<ref name="express24" /> The train's regenerative brakes are also expected to allow a 30% savings in electricity costs as compared to its predecessor.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.uniindia.com/news/india/t-18-train-with-a-brain-is-railways-engineering-marvel/1404772.html|title=T 18: Train with a brain is Railways 'engineering marvel'|last=|first=|date=14 November 2018|work=[[United News of India]]|access-date=}}</ref> At an operating speed of {{convert|160|kph}}, it will outpace the [[Shatabdi Express]] by {{convert|30|kph}}.<ref name="ndtv">{{cite news|title=Pics: Train 18 To Begin Trial Run Today. Here Are 10 Things To Know|url=https://www.ndtv.com/business/train-18-indias-fastest-train-route-launch-date-today-features-engineless-rotating-seats-in-pictures-1939151|accessdate=4 November 2018|work=[[NDTV Profit]]|publisher=NDTV|date=29 October 2018}}</ref> Although the trainset has been tested for speeds up to 180 kph, operational speed has been capped at 130 kph as an internal report by Indian Railways indicated that just 0.3% of the company's track is capable of supporting speeds of that magnitude.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/just-0-3-of-railway-tracks-fit-for-trains-running-at-160km-hour/story-F5BhXi48ik6M5Ul63ZNRiM.html|title=Just 0.3% of railway tracks fit for trains running at 160km/hour|last=Haidar|first=Faizan|date=27 November 2018|newspaper=[[Hindustan Times]]|access-date=16 February 2019|location=[[New Delhi]], [[India]]}}</ref> Every other car on the train is motorised.<ref name="unitedtrial" /> The 8 hour journey from New Delhi to Varanasi station has the base fare of ₹1,239.00 and covers the total distance of about 775 kilometers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.irctc.co.in/nget/train-list|title=INDIAN RAILWAY CATERING & TOURISM CORPORATION LTD.|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref>

Revision as of 19:55, 1 April 2019

Vande Bharat Express
Train 18
PM Narendra Modi flagging off Vande Bharat Express at New Delhi Railway Station on February 15, 2019
In serviceLong distance Intercity Express
ManufacturerIntegral Coach Factory
Built atIntegral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai
ReplacedShatabdi Express
Constructed2018
Entered service15 February 2019[1]
Number under construction2
Number built1
Number in service1
PredecessorShatabdi Express
Formation(DT + M + T + M) for basic unit of 4 cars (DT=Driving Trailer, T=Trailer, M=Motor-coach)
Fleet numbers1
Capacity1,128 passengers
OperatorsIndian Railways
Lines servedVande Bharat Express
Specifications
Car body constructionSteel
Train length376.64 metres (1,235.7 ft)
Width3.24 metres (10.6 ft)
DoorsAutomatic
Articulated sectionsN/A
Maximum speed
  • 180 km/h (110 mph) (highest speed reached)[2]
  • 160 km/h (99 mph) (highest operating speed)[3]
  • 200 km/h (120 mph) (theoretical max speed)[4]
Weight39.5 Tonnes - Trailer coach
Power output8000 kW (10700 hp) (= 32 motors, each of 250 kW)
Acceleration0.7 metres per second squared (2.3 ft/s2)[5]
Auxiliaries415 V 3 phase 50 Hz
Power supply25 kV 50 Hz AC 1-phase
UIC classification(2'-2' + Bo-Bo + 2'-2' + Bo-Bo) for each basic unit
BogiesIndigenous
Braking system(s)electropneumatic braking
Coupling systemCBC, semi-permanent type
Track gauge1676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge
(Indian gauge)

Vande Bharat Express, also known as Train 18,[6] is an Indian semi-high speed intercity electric multiple unit.[7] It was designed and built by Integral Coach Factory (ICF) Chennai under the Indian government's Make in India initiative over a span of 18 months. The unit cost of the first rake was given as ₹100 crore (US$12 million), though the unit cost is expected to go down with subsequent production.[3] At the original price, it is estimated to be 40% less costly than a similar train imported from Europe.[8] The train was launched on 15 February 2019[9], by which date a second unit will have been produced and readied for service.[10] The service was named 'Vande Bharat Express' on 27 January 2019.[11]

Design and development

Train 18's exterior appearance consists of aerodynamic narrowing at each ends of the train.[12] It has a driver coach at each end of the train, allowing for faster turnaround at each end of the line.[13] The train has 16 passenger cars, with a seating capacity of 1,128 passengers.[14] Two of the center compartments are first class compartments that seat 52 each, with the rest being coach compartments seating 78 each.[15]

The train's seats, braking system, doors, and transformers are the only elements of the train to be outsourced,[3] with plans to make them domestically on the production of the next unit.[16] Train 18 employs a regenerative braking system.[17]

Another unit is planned for production over the next year, along with four more units in the following year, for a total of six.[12] The Railway Board has requested that ICF complete two of the new units by May 2019.[17] Two of those units will incorporate sleeper cars into the layout.[18] "As per the production programme issued by the Railway Board, this includes the second train coming out after the elections and third by October this year. After October, ICF will make one train every alternate month till March 2020 and one rake every month from April 2020."

According to the Ministry of Railways earlier this year, Modern Coach Factory (MCF), Raebareli which has been a shining example of 'Make in India', will also manufacture more Vande Bharat Express train sets in the coming months.

Indian Railways and ICF are also planning the development of Train 20, another semi-high speed train that will replace the Rajdhani Express. The line is supposed to be unveiled in 2020.[19]

Trial runs

The train's first trial run occurred on 29 October 2018 in Chennai,[13] focusing on crew orientation and testing the train's brakes,[18] with further testing scheduled to be done in Delhi on 7 November and later in Rajasthan.[16] An Indian Railways official reported that "some fuses went off" during the trial in Chennai, but that the issue was minor and quickly fixed.[20] The train ended up leaving for Delhi later than expected, on 11 November, and arrived on 13 November.[20] Testing was set to commence along a section of track between Bareilly and Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh on 17 November,[21] but the location was subsequently changed to the stretch of rail between Moradabad and Rampur due to unspecified issues with the initial section of track.[22] The Moradabad–Rampur testing occurred at low speeds ranging from 30–60 km/h (19–37 mph).[4] After the lower-speed testing, the train was moved to a section of track between Kota and Sawai Madhopur to be tested at operating speed.[21] During its trials, Train 18 reached speeds of 180 km/h (110 mph), the highest speed any train in India has reached in the trials but they restricted the speed to 130km/h officially. [23]

A team put together by India's Research Design and Standards Organisation will supervise the testing and give the go-ahead for the final speed test.[24]

On 20 Dec 2018, a window of the train was smashed by a thrown stone and the glass shattered while it was on its trial run from Delhi to Agra.[25][26]

A few countries have shown interest in importing models of the train due to its lower cost.[27][28]

Inaugural run and entry into service

The train set has been flagged off for an inaugural run by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, on 15 February 2019,[29] with its commercial run starting from 17 February 2019 onwards. The train broke down on while returning to Delhi, after its inaugural trip, on 16 February, with officials citing brake failure secondary to striking cattle as the cause.

It will be running on the Delhi-Varanasi route,[15] via Kanpur and Prayagraj, connecting the Prime minister's Lok Sabha seat to the Capital city, reducing travel time along the route by 15 percent.[7] The train's regenerative brakes are also expected to allow a 30% savings in electricity costs as compared to its predecessor.[30] At an operating speed of 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph), it will outpace the Shatabdi Express by 30 kilometres per hour (19 mph).[15] Although the trainset has been tested for speeds up to 180 kph, operational speed has been capped at 130 kph as an internal report by Indian Railways indicated that just 0.3% of the company's track is capable of supporting speeds of that magnitude.[31] Every other car on the train is motorised.[13] The 8 hour journey from New Delhi to Varanasi station has the base fare of ₹1,239.00 and covers the total distance of about 775 kilometers.[32]

Train 20

Train 20 is the successor project to Train 18, envisioned as replacement for long distance intercity sleeper train services like Rajdhani Express. With a ligther aluminium body, it is predicted to have a slightly faster top speed of 176 km/h. The Indian government, unlike Train 18, expects bids from multinational firms such as Alstom, Bombardier, Stadler or Talgo, although it will still be a Make in India project. It is planned to include various features including Wi-Fi.[33]

Routes

The following are the planned routes the train will be deployed on: [34]

Train 18
# Routes Train Number(s) Distance Average Time Average Speed Max. Permitable Speed Launch Date Ref(s)
1 NDLS - CNB - ALD - BSB 22435 (Up)
22436 (Down) 		769 Km 8 Hours 94.875 Km/h 130 Km/h 17 February 2019 [35]
2 NDLS - HBJ N/A 708 Km N/A N/A N/A N/A [36]

References

  1. ^ "Train 18 launch: PM Modi inaugurates Vande Bharat Express, India's fastest train". Business Today (India). 15 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  2. ^ "Train 18 cruising at 181kmph, 'officially' becomes India's fastest train".
  3. ^ a b c Prabhakar, Siddarth (23 October 2018). "First Made-in-India engineless train gets on track for trial run - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  4. ^ a b Sudhakar, Kanimozhi (20 November 2018). "Watch: Speed Trial of Engine-less 'Train 18' Held on Moradabad-Bareilly Route Today". India.com. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  5. ^ Jain, Smriti (19 October 2018). "Train 18 ready for rollout! Why it makes perfect sense for this engine-less train to replace Shatabdi Express". Financial Express. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  6. ^ "India's fastest to be called Vande Bharat Express". Indian Express. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Train 18, India's first engine-less train, set to hit tracks on October 29", The Indian Express, 24 October 2018
  8. ^ Arora, Rajat (16 March 2018). "Made-in-India 160 km per hour train to run from June". The Economic Times. New Delhi, India. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  9. ^ PTI (7 February 2019). "Train 18: PM Modi to flag off Vande Bharat Express on February 15 from New Delhi". Business Today. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  10. ^ Rupera, Prashant (3 November 2018). "Train 18 to change way Indians commute". The Times of India. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  11. ^ "Minister of Railways & Coal Shri Piyush Goyal Announces 'Vande Bharat Express'". Press Information Bureau, India. Retrieved 27 January 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  12. ^ a b "Train 18: Country's first engine-less train rolled out; Train 20 next". The Economic Times. 29 October 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  13. ^ a b c "Self-propelled Train 18 debuts for trial run". United News of India. 29 October 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  14. ^ Shine, Jacob (29 October 2018). "Train 18, India's first engine-less train, is also the country's fastest". Business Standard. New Delhi, India. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  15. ^ a b c "Pics: Train 18 To Begin Trial Run Today. Here Are 10 Things To Know". NDTV Profit. NDTV. 29 October 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  16. ^ a b Stalin, J Sam Daniel (29 October 2018). "Inside India's 'Fastest' Train - 360-Degree Rotating Seats, Sliding Steps". NDTV.com. NDTV. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  17. ^ a b Prabhakar, Siddarth (9 December 2018). "ICF asked to make two more Train-18 rakes before Lok Sabha polls". Times of India.
  18. ^ a b Sethi, Nidhi (29 October 2018). "India's First Engineless Train To Make Debut On Tracks Today: 10 Points". NDTV.com. NDTV. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  19. ^ "After Train 18, Indian Railways focuses on the next-gen Train 20 that'll replace Rajdhani". Business Today (India). Living Media. 1 November 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  20. ^ a b Shah, Narendra (17 November 2018). "India's First Engine-Less Train, Vande Bharat Express To Go On Trial Run in UP Today". Metro Rail News. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  21. ^ a b "India's first engine-less Train 18 to be test run today". Hindustan Times. 17 November 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  22. ^ "Train 18, India's First Engineless Train, Conducts Trial Run Successfully". NDTV.com. NDTV. 18 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  23. ^ Jain, Smriti (2 December 2018). "Train 18 exclusive: Engine-less train becomes Indian Railways fastest at 180 kmph; truly remarkable feat!". Financial Express. The Express Group.
  24. ^ "Special team to ensure speedy trials of India's first engine-less train". Business Standard India. 28 October 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  25. ^ https://trak.in/tags/business/2018/12/21/train18-attacked-with-stones-windows-smashed-fastest-train-set-to-debut-on-december-29/
  26. ^ "Train 18 damaged!".
  27. ^ "Train 18 sets to be exported! Indian Railways looks to enter $200 billion world market for trains". 18 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  28. ^ "Many Countries Interested In Importing India's Train 18 Set: Railway Officials". NDTV.com. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  29. ^ "Train 18: PM Modi to flag off Vande Bharat Express on February 15 from New Delhi". Business Today. 7 February 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  30. ^ "T 18: Train with a brain is Railways 'engineering marvel'". United News of India. 14 November 2018.
  31. ^ Haidar, Faizan (27 November 2018). "Just 0.3% of railway tracks fit for trains running at 160km/hour". Hindustan Times. New Delhi, India. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  32. ^ "INDIAN RAILWAY CATERING & TOURISM CORPORATION LTD". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  33. ^ "Train 20: World-class semi-high speed train sets to replace Indian Railways Rajdhani Express; know about them". 8 August 2018.
  34. ^ "Indian Railways finalise ten new routes to start operational run of Train-18". Urban Transport News. 12 December 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  35. ^ "22435/Varanasi - New Delhi Vande Bharat Express - Varanasi to New Delhi NR/Northern Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com.
  36. ^ "Engineless train to reduce Delhi to Bhopal travel time by three hours - Times of India". The Times of India.

See also


Media related to Train 18 at Wikimedia Commons

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