India's first engine-less train, "Train 18", developed by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) and seen as a successor to the prestigious Shatabdi Express, was unveiled Monday by Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani.
The Rs. 100-crore train is the first long-distance train, without a separate locomotive (engine). It was flagged off at the ICF premises by Mr Lohani and would undergo trials in the coming months, ICF officials said.
The fully air-conditioned train, driven by a self-propulsion module, had the potential to become the country's fastest train provided the infrastructure was bettered, Mr Lohani said.
Five more units of the train would be produced by the ICF by the end of 2019-20 production year, he said.
The 16-coach train will cut journey time by 15 per cent compared to the 30-year old Shatabdi.
"It is a matter of pride that India has made such a train for the first time and that too ICF has done it within 18 months," Mr Lohani told reporters.
"Within 2018-19 production year another unit of the train would be manufactured and four more units would be manufactured by end of 2019-20 production year," Mr Lohani said.
According to ICF, the train is capable of running at a speed of up to 160 kmph and comes with technical features for enhanced quick acceleration.
The train is designed in such a way that passengers can have a look at the driver's cabin.
Fitted with CCTV cameras, Train 18 would have two executive compartments in the middle with 52 seats each, whereas trailer coaches would have 78 seats each.
It has diffused lighting, automatic doors and footsteps besides GPS-based Passenger Information System.
The footstep in a coach's doorway slides outward when the train stops at a station enabling passengers to alight safely with comfort in view of the variation in height between a train's floor and the platform.
Shatabdi was introduced in 1988 and is presently running on over 20 routes connecting metros with other important cities.
ICF General Manager Sudhanshu Mani had earlier said the train cost nearly Rs. 100 crore to build the prototype and subsequent production would bring down the cost.
Here are 10 interesting facts and swanky features of Indian Railways’ first self-propelled train:
* Train 18 will have modern air-conditioned coaches interconnected with fully sealed gangways blocking noise and dust. The train is designed in such a way that passengers can have a look at the driver’s cabin.
* The train will have centrally operated automatic plug doors with sliding steps that close the gap between coaches and station platform. Besides, it will also have touch-free automatic doors inside the passenger compartment.
* The coaches on either ends will come with disabled-friendly passenger bays and disabled-friendly toilets. It will also feature onboard uninterrupted Wifi and infotainment system.
* Each compartment will have GPS-enabled passenger information system, showing train speed, location, time to reach destination etc.
* Train 18 will have multilevel lighting system, similar to aircraft lighting, and will come equipped with comfortable seating, window blinds and luggage racks.
* All the equipments of the train are mounted underneath the floor so the entire train will be available for passengers.
* Train 18 has aircraft-like bio-vacuum toilets for efficient flushing. Touch-free sensor-based fittings have been used for optimal consumption of water.
* A unique feature of the executive chair car seats is that they can be rotated 180 degrees to face fellow passengers and can be aligned in the direction of travel.
* A mini pantry will be instituted in each coach of Train 18 and will have state-of-the-art equipment for better heating of food and chilling of cold drinks and juices.
* Six train sets have been sanctioned with the second one planned to be rolled out for testing in February. Four more sets are being aimed to be manufactured in 2019-20. The ICF team plans to replace these sets with all premium long distance locomotive-hauled trains.