Indian Railways enters new league! Swanky 160 kmph engine-less Make in India train is too good; 15 features
Indian Railways set for a giant technology leap! Engine-less trains till now have been limited to metro networks and suburban travel in India, but come June 2018, Indian Railways is all set to roll out its first self-propelled semi-high speed train set for inter-city travel! Codenamed Train 18 based on the year it is being manufactured in, this self-propelled train would be able to travel at speeds of 160 kmph and will eventually replace Shatabdi Express trains on the Indian Railways network.
Train 18 is a 100% 'Make in India' project and the train set is being manufactured at ICF (Integral Coach Factory) in Chennai. ICF claims that Train 18 will be manufactured at half the cost of a similar train set being imported!
The first train set will have 16 chair-car type coaches - executive and non-executive. There will be two executive chair cars and 14 non-executive chair cars. The maximum seating capacity of executive chair cars will be 56 passengers, while those of non executive will be 78.
Train 18 will have a stainless steel car body with LHB as the base design. The train set will be tested at speeds of 180 kmph. Unlike conventional trains, Train 18 will have continuous windows.
The fully air-conditioned train set will have comfortable seats and the interiors will boast of diffused lighting.
Train 18 will offer passengers on-board WiFi and infotainment. There will also be GPS-based passenger information system.
Yet another interesting feature of Train 18 would be its automatic doors and footsteps! Yes, you read it right, the automatic doors will come with the facility of a sliding footstep that will open when once the train arrives at the platform.
Train 18 will have automatic interconnecting doors and the connecting areas will be spacious for easy movement.
Other passenger friendly amenities include halogen free rubber-on-rubber flooring, concealed roller blinds for improved aesthetics and better view from the window and continuous energy-efficient LED lighting.
Train 18 will boast of zero discharge bio-vaccum toilets.
The modular toilets will have aesthetic touch-free bathroom fittings.
The luggage rack of Train 18 will be more spacious so that passengers can park more luggage.
Train 18 will have driving cabins at both ends of the train. The coaches of the self-propelled train set will be inter connected with fully sealed gangways.
Train 18 coaches will also have space to park wheel chairs - a step aimed at making the train sets friendly for disabled passengers.
Train 18 will have latest generation bogies for better riding comfort. Several other features from a technology and engineering perspective include reduced aerodynamic drag for improved energy efficiency, improved air ducting for better distribution and underslung propulsion.
One big advantage of a train set as against a locomotive-hauled train is that there are no engine reversal requirements. Train sets also allow for quick acceleration and deceleration, hence reducing the travel duration. According to ICF, train sets allow for better onboard utilisation of space.
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