industry

First Made-in-India engineless train gets on track for trial run


CHENNAI: The first train set conceptualised, designed and manufactured completely in India, which looks like a bullet train, will be released for trial in a week’s time.

A train set is a rake which is self-propelled and does not need a locomotive, said Sudhanshu Mani, general manager of Integral Coach Factory (ICF) which has designed and manufactured the train set, known as Train-18, at a cost of Rs 100 crore. A second rake would be ready by March, with costs expected to reduce as more rakes are manufactured.

Built for a quick intra-day travel on Shatabdi Express routes like Delhi-Bhopal, Chennai-Bengaluru and Mumbai-Ahmedabad, the sixteen-coach train has the latest amenities and can cut down on travel time by 10-15%. The train has better acceleration than conventional trains as it has 50% more power and is equipped with a smart braking system consisting of regenerative and electro-pneumatic braking imported from Hungary.

“This is one of the most ambitious Make in India concepts. By developing it completely in India, we have saved on the cost of technology transfer from a foreign country that is usually the norm,” Mani said. An imported rake of similar characteristics would have cost Rs 170 crore, he said. Established private companies in India would have taken 36 months to deliver a similar product, he added.

Two executive class coaches in the centre of the train have seats which can rotate by 360 degrees, giving passengers the option of enjoying a straight-on view of the scenery. These seats have been air-lifted from Spain; apart from the braking system and transformers, these are the only imported components, say officials.

For the first time, passengers would be able to knock on the doors of the driver and also have a look at the panel, as the train has a continuous profile.

The train’s speed test would be conducted on the Moradabad-Bareilly and Kota-Sawai Madhopur stretch next month, said officials.





READ SOURCE

Leave a Reply

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies.