India’s 1st engine-less train ready for trail run

October 25: The Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) will be testing an engineless train for 80 days in three phases. Called Train 18, it is claimed to be the first engineless train conceptualised, designed and manufactured in India. The 16-coach train built by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai has a cruising speed of 160 km/h. However, a 10% margin is being provided to ensure that the train meets all safety standards. Hence, the test will be carried out at 180 km per hour.

The first phase of the trial will take place on the Bareilly-Moradabad section with the train touching speeds of around 115 km/h. In the second phase, the train will reach speeds of up to 180 km/h on the Kota-Sawai Madhopur route. The final phase of testing would take place between Delhi and Bhopal via Agra. It cost nearly Rs. 100 crore to build the prototype and subsequent production would bring down the cost.

Once the train is approved for operation, it is expected to replace the Shatabdi Express between Delhi and Bhopal. Later, it is expected to replace the Shatabdi trains between Chennai and Bengaluru, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, New Delhi and Lucknow and New Delhi and Amritsar. The self-propelled train, fitted with CCTV cameras, would have two executive compartments in the middle with 52 seats each, whereas trailer coaches would have 78 seats each.

The coach doors will open only when the train is at zero kmph and the train will start only when all the coach doors are properly closed. Further, CCTV cameras on both the sides of driving cab would help the driver to monitor the movement of passengers on the platform before closing the doors and setting off.

Integral Coach Factory (ICF) General Manager Sudhanshu Mani said “It will be unveiled on October 29, then it will do three to four days of trial outside the factory and then will be handed over to Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) for further trials.”