New Delhi: Indian Railways is expected to begin operating the third rake of the Vande Bharat Express semi-high-speed train early next year.
A senior official at the Integral Coach Factory(ICF) official said: ‘At present 6 shells (body skeleton) of Vande Bharat trains are ready and work on trains propulsion system is underway. The third rake is planned to be turned out by 31 March 2022 from ICF.’ According to the official, the new rake will have minor technological differences from the Indian Railway’s present two rakes and would be operated by the Indian Railways.
The new rake will be handed over when the ICF finishes manufacturing it and the Railway Board will decide which route the new Vande Bharat Express train would run on. Indian Railways now operates two Vande Bharat Trains, one between New Delhi and Varanasi and the other between New Delhi and Katra.
Indian Railways has previously issued a tender for 58 Vande Bharat Express rakes in August, this year. On Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that 75 trains will be launched in 75 weeks, connecting all sections of the country.
The Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, the Modern Coach Factory in Rae Bareilly, and the Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala will produce the trains’ coaches.
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Railways had issued a procurement for 44 Vande Bharat rakes earlier this year. By 2024, 102 Vande Bharat trains, including the new 58 rakes, would be operational.
Tenders for the design, development, fabrication, integration, and testing of traction propulsion electrics for the 58 rakes of Vande Bharat trains were issued on August 28. Only two Shatabdi-style semi-high-speed trains are currently in service.
In addition, each coach will feature four emergency lights that may be utilised in a crisis case if the regular lights fail during that period. The number of emergency buttons will also be raised from two to four.
Flood protection of underframe equipment will be improved, with a focus on ensuring safety during the monsoon season. Higher flood protection underframe technology will be installed on the new trains to ensure dependability during severe rains.
The Indian Railways network now operates two Vande Bharat trains, the first on the Delhi-Varanasi route and the second on the Delhi-Katra line. Onboard infotainment, a GPS-based passenger information system, CCTV cameras, automated sliding doors with retractable coach footsteps and zero discharge vacuum-based bio-toilets are all features of existing train sets.
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