Vande Bharat Express: PM Modi flags off India’s first engine-less, semi-high speed train
Regarded as a successor to the Shatabdi Express, the Vande Bharat Express can attain a top speed of 160 km per hour. Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off India’s first engine-less, semi-high speed train from the New Delhi Railway Station on Friday, PTI reported. The indigenouslymanufactured Train 18 has been named the Vande Bharat Express. The train will travel from Delhi to Varanasi in nine hours and 45 minutes, including a stoppage time of 40 minutes each at Kanpur and Prayagraj, where special programmes have been organised. Modi also inspected the train’s state- of-the-art facilities. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, who was on board the train on its inaugural journey, said Modi has given permission to produce 100 more such trains, The Indian Express reported. “Thirty more trainsets tendering process has already been okayed,” Goyal added. Regarded as a successor to the Shatabdi Express, the Vande Bharat Express can attain a top speed of 160 km per hour. The 16-coach train was built at Rae Bareli’s Modern Coach Factory at a cost of Rs 97 crore. The fully air-conditioned train has two executive chair cars. The total seating capacity of the train is 1,128 passengers. All the coaches are equipped with automatic doors, GPS-based audiovisual passenger information system and onboard hotspot Wi-Fi. The train has a regenerative braking system, which can save up to 30% of electrical energy. Speaking at the inauguration, Modi condemned the Pulwama terror attack, in which 37 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force lost their lives on Thursday. Modi said the security forces have been given a free hand and those responsible for the attack had made a huge mistake. “The forces behind this act of terrorism and those responsible for it will be definitely be punished,” Modi said. “I thank all the nations who have supported us and condemned this incident in the strongest of terms.
A strong reply will be given to this attack.”
India's Fastest Train, Vande Bharat Express, Breaks Down Day After Launch
India's first engine-less train Vande Bharat Express, or Train 18, reached Delhi this afternoon, travelling at a much slower speed. Vande Bharat Express, India's fastest train, broke down this morning, a day after its launch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. The train, on the way back from Varanasi and travelling at a much slower speed than usual, reached Delhi in the afternoon. The Railway Ministry has attributed the disruption to a possible cattle runover. However, there were no signs of damage on the front of the train. The engine-less train, formerly known as Train 18, was returning from Varanasi after its inaugural run and broke down about 200 km from the capital at around 6 am. It resumed its journey after almost 2 hours at around 8.15 am before coming to a halt again at 8:55 am. After necessary repairs, it resumed its journey towards Delhi. The train had to be brought to Delhi to fix the fault and it cannot be driven above 40 km per hour for now, sources said. The people on board, mostly railways officials and journalists, were shifted to another train. The train is expected to start its commercial run tomorrow. At around 5 am today, the power went out in some coaches on the train. Before coming to a halt at Chamrola station, the Vande Bharat Express had slowed down to a sluggish speed of 10 km per hour. There was also a foul smell and mild smoke which was due to an internal system failure. Due to a deposit in the wheels, the braking system was jammed. Calling it a "mechanical fault in the braking system" the staff said the train made thumping noises when the speed was increased. According to the train staff, the fault had led to the control failures of the air-conditioners. The indigenously-built "semi-high speed" train with a top speed of 180 km per hour, had touched speeds of 130 km per on hour, on its inaugural run yesterday. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said he was "encouraged by the positive feedback" received on the run of the Vande Bharat Express and had decided to place an order for hundred more such trains to cover all routes where shorter distances can be covered. Manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, Vande Bharat Express had all safety clearances, trials and tests in place. It had covered a distance of 7000 km in its three trial runs.