82-584: Vande Bharat Express is a medium-distance superfast express service operated by Indian Railways . It is a reserved , air-conditioned chair car service connecting cities that are less than 800 km (500 mi) apart or take less than ten hours to travel with existing services. The train was a part of the ' Make in India ' initiative by the government and entered commercial service on 15 February 2019. The trainsets are self-propelling Electric Multiple Units (EMU)s with eight or sixteen coaches. The trainset
164-464: A WCP-1 locomotives with seven coaches along the route. The Grand Trunk express commenced operating as a dedicated daily train between Madras and Delhi from 1 September 1930. WDM-1 , the first diesel locomotive introduced in 1957 was capable of speeds of up to 104 km/h (65 mph). In 1957, Indian Railways adopted 25 kV 50 Hz AC traction with the first runs beginning in December 1959 with
246-494: A ₹ 22.11 billion (equivalent to ₹ 25 billion or US$ 300 million in 2023) contract to Hyderabad-based Medha Servo Drives to manufacture 44 second generation Vande Bharat trainsets, in accordance with the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative that required 75% of the components to be locally sourced. In March 2022, Indian Railways awarded contracts to seven companies to manufacture 58 additional trainsets at
328-566: A 2x2 configuration. The chair car coaches can seat 78 passengers per coach (44 in first and last coaches) and are equipped with retractable seats in 2x3 configuration. The coaches are fully air conditioned and equipped with electric outlets , reading lights, CCTV cameras , automatic doors , bio-vacuum toilets , Sensor-based water taps and Passenger information system . The coaches have wider windows with roller blinds and overhead racks for luggage. The service offers onboard catering with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian meal options included in
410-459: A 3-pin socket and USB power socket for every passenger, zero discharge toilet systems, and facilities to accommodate passengers travelling in wheelchairs. The trains will also have a cattle guard that can absorb collisions with animals up to 600 kilograms (1,300 pounds) in weight and keep animals from being dragged under the train in the event of a collision. The ICF is developing variants for suburban and short-distance services. The suburban variant
492-693: A bacteria-free air conditioning system and higher flood protection for electrical equipment to ensure reliability during monsoons up to 650 mm (26 in). On 24 September 2023, 9 new Vande Bharat Express trains were flagged off which include upgraded features for passenger comfort after feedback. These include improvements to seats, improvements to toilets and an improved aerosol-based fire detection and suppression system. Several rakes have been modified to accommodate specific routes. The Mumbai CSMT–Sainagar Shirdi Vande Bharat Express and Mumbai CSMT–Solapur Vande Bharat Express are modified Vande Bharat trains that have additional parking brakes for stopping
574-640: A bigger driver's cabin, and seats in all coaches that can be leaned back. To address the seat reclining issues of the previous version, the new chairs were equipped with a push-back arrangement for smooth reclining. This version is additionally equipped for safety and protection with Kavach signalling technology. The train offers enhanced amenities, security, and surveillance systems, as well as features suited for emergencies. The seats are made up of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) and were made by Tata Steel's Composites division. The new rolling stock features four emergency windows, disaster lights in all coaches in
656-406: A coach is 23 m (75 ft) long, and is made of stainless steel . During its trial runs, the trainsets had clocked speeds of up to 183 km/h (114 mph) with an acceleration of 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) in 52 seconds. The operational speed is limited due to track restrictions, halts and traffic congestion. The maximum operational speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) is achieved by
738-637: A design life of 35 years. It is expected to be lighter, energy efficient as well as have better passenger amenities than the Vande Bharat. Half of the trainsets will have coaches made of steel, while the other half will have coaches made of aluminium with articulated bogies . Indian Railways invited bids to design and manufacture 200 trainsets in April 2022. The agency estimated that it would cost ₹ 260 billion (equivalent to ₹ 280 billion or US$ 3.3 billion in 2023). The estimate includes
820-400: A driver's cabin at each end, that enables immediate switch in train's direction, unlike a locomotive-hauled train. The 16-car trainset weighs 430 tonnes (420 long tons; 470 short tons) and has a seating capacity of 1,128 passengers. Two of the centre compartments are first-class compartments that seat 52 each, with the rest being chair car compartments seating 78 each. The chassis of a coach
902-486: A maximum operational speed of 160 km/h (99 mph). The actual operating speed was much lower due to track restrictions and congestion with top speeds restricted to 130 km/h (81 mph) for most trains. In December 2023, two modified WAP-5 locomotives were used to haul the Amrit Bharat train-set in a push-pull configuration, capable of reaching speeds of up to 160 km/h (99 mph). According to
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#1732772666411984-507: A maximum speed of 130 km/h (81 mph). WAP-5 class locomotives, initially imported from ABB in 1995 and later manufactured at Chittaranjan Locomotive Works in India, reached 184 km/h (114 mph) in trials and later set an Indian speed record by hauling an express train between Delhi and Agra at a speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) in 2014. In December 2009, the Ministry of Railways of Government of India envisaged
1066-407: A plan to increase the speed of passenger trains to 160–200 km/h (99–124 mph) on dedicated conventional tracks and improve the existing conventional lines to handle speeds of up to 160 km/h (99 mph). Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India has built dedicated freight corridors across India to divert cargo traffic from the passenger railway tracks, thus helping increase
1148-452: A reduced car configuration, for lower demand, known as Mini Vande Bharat Express. It was projected to cost about ₹ 650 million (US$ 7.8 million) per rake for an 8-car configuration, at a cost of ₹ 81.25 million (US$ 970,000) per car. Indian Railways was targeting for manufacturing 1,000 Mini Vande Bharat rakes of 8-car configuration. During the financial year of 2023–24, an allocation of ₹ 1 million (US$ 12,000) had been made for designing
1230-593: A system of express trains, operated by Indian Railways which comes under the purview of the Ministry of Railways of Government of India . As of 2023 , it maintains over 108,706 km (67,547 mi) of tracks, spanning across 68,584 km (42,616 mi) in route length, and operates nearly 3,000 express trains daily. According to the Ministry of Railways, express trains travel faster and have limited stops than ordinary passenger trains. Any passenger train with an average speed higher than 55 km/h (34 mph)
1312-575: A ticket holder to board the train and share a berth. Reserved tickets can be booked by passengers who want to travel at short notice at higher fares through the Tatkal train ticket , where no refund is applicable on cancellation. A valid proof for the purchase of ticket along with photo identification is required to board the train. Unreserved tickets for short distance or unplanned travels may be purchased at stations or through UTS mobile app at any time before departure. Holders of such tickets may only board
1394-565: A total cost of ₹ 18.5 billion (equivalent to ₹ 20 billion or US$ 230 million in 2023). The seven companies were Medha Servo Drives, Alstom , Siemens , Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Titagarh Wagons , Saini Electricals and CGL. During manufacturing, the supply of wheels from Ukraine was disrupted due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine , delaying production. Indian Railways later sought Steel Authority of India (SAIL) and Rashtriya Ispat Nigam (RINL) to manufacture
1476-409: A total distance of 762 km (473 mi) between the two cities. However, while returning from Varanasi , the train broke down due to a cattle runover. According to reports, four cars of the train experienced an electrical outage and brakes were reported to be jammed as the train was halted for over an hour at Tundla Junction railway station before resumption. The fleet of Vande Bharat trainsets
1558-440: Is 23 metres (75 ft) long, and the frame of the train is made entirely of stainless steel. Alternate coaches are motorised to ensure an even distribution of power and quicker acceleration and deceleration. The cars are interconnected and fully sealed to allow better mobility between coaches and reduce noise. The train features a GPS-based passenger information system, bio-vacuum toilets, and rotational seats that can be aligned in
1640-651: Is a 15-coach train with a carrying capacity of 6,000 people. The short distance variant that will replace existing MEMU services, will have eight coaches with a carrying capacity of 2,400 people. As directed by the Indian Railway Board, the ICF will launch a model for Jammu and Kashmir in 2024. After the train's inauguration, Indian Railways reportedly received queries of interest from some countries in Southeast Asia and South America. A board member of
1722-487: Is an Indian electric multiple unit chair car trainset designed and developed by Indian Railways at its Integral Coach Factory in Chennai . The train achieved a maximum speed of 183 km/h (114 mph) during its trial runs but the operational speed of the train is restricted to 160 km/h (99 mph) due to tracks' inability to support such speeds. The first electric multiple unit (EMU) technology in India
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#17327726664111804-535: Is considered super-fast. As of 2023 , India does not have any operational high-speed trains . The maximum operational speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) is achieved by Gatimaan Express and Rani Kamalapati (Habibganj)–Hazrat Nizamuddin Vande Bharat Express on the Tughlakabad – Agra section. Earlier steam locomotive operated trains largely operated below 100 km/h (62 mph). With
1886-583: The North Western Railway and Mangalore with two coaches detached and connected to Madras further. The Frontier Mail made its inaugural run between Bombay and Peshawar in 1928. Technical advancements led to automatic colour light signals become operational between Bombay and Byculla in 1928. In the subsequent years, the route from Bombay to Poona was electrified and in June 1930, the first deluxe train, Deccan Queen began running, hauled by
1968-592: The Rani Kamalapati (Habibganj)–Hazrat Nizamuddin Vande Bharat Express and Hazrat Nizamuddin-Khajuraho Vande Bharat Express on the 174 km (108 mi) Tughlakabad – Agra section. The train has two classes of accommodation with the AC Executive Class being the premium class and the AC chair being the other. The executive class coach can seat 52 passengers and is equipped with rotating seats in
2050-477: The Tughlakabad – Agra section. In 1960, the Railway Board of India commissioned a study to increase the speed of its trains, which was restricted to 96 km/h (60 mph) on the existent broad gauge lines. A target of 160 km/h (99 mph) with an intermediate stage of 120 km/h (75 mph) was set for passenger trains. Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) started work on
2132-524: The WAM-1 locomotives, capable of reaching speeds of up to 112 km/h (70 mph). In 1960, the Railway Board of India commissioned a study to increase the speed of its trains, which was restricted to 96 km/h (60 mph) on the existent broad gauge lines. A target of 160 km/h (99 mph) with an intermediate stage of 120 km/h (75 mph) was set for passenger trains. Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) started work on
2214-569: The Indian Railways stated that the train could be modified according to customer needs. A railways official stated in November 2022 that the Ministry of Railways were preparing a roadmap to begin exports of Vande Bharat trainsets by 2026. Exports would only begin after 475 trainsets are built for domestic use. Indian Railways is constructing a 59 km (37 mi) long dedicated standard gauge track between Gudha and Thathana Mithri in
2296-486: The Ministry of Railways, express trains are classified as follows: a. Super-fast express: Any passenger train with an average speed higher than 55 km/h (34 mph) on 1,676 mm ( 5 ft 6 in ) broad gauge . b. Mail: Trains which earlier had a mail coach attached. Newer trains are not named so, but older trains remain in operation. c. Express: Express trains travel faster and have fewer stops than ordinary passenger trains. As of 2023 , it manages
2378-558: The Mumbai–Ahmedabad route. As part of the " Make in India " initiative, the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) created and produced the Vande Bharat Express. There are two generations of the train with design upgrades and addition of new features with subsequent generations. The exterior of the first version of Vande Bharat Express had an aerodynamic design that helped to reduce air resistance at high speeds. It had
2460-761: The coach class and the second letter identifies the coach number. The berths and seats are numbered by an alphanumeric code with the letter(s) identifying the berth/seat type and numbers identifying the position. In standard coaches, the berths and seats are classified as follows: Indian Railways Operates various classes of Express trains . The trains are classified basis average speed and facilities with express trains having fewer halts, priority on rail network and faster average speed. The trains are identified by five digit numbers with train-pairs traveling in opposite directions usually labelled with consecutive numbers. Express trains often have specific unique names for easy identification. Rajdhani Express introduced in 1969 were
2542-523: The concept and preliminary research. In July 2023, Indian Railways announced a new saffron and grey livery for Vande Bharat trains inspired by the Indian tricolour. The Union Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, said that 25 improvements have been incorporated into the trains, including anti-climbing devices. These anti-climbing devices will also be added to trains other than Vande Bharat. In August 2024, trial runs of 20-car Vande Bharat were conducted on
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2624-543: The contract. It is also known as Freight EMU , supposedly to be used mainly to carry parcels of e-commerce companies, which is presently done via roadways. Indian Railways is planning to build 25 such trainsets to augment its freight market share in freight logistics from 28% to 40% by 2030 as a part of the government's "PM Gati Shakti" initiative. The first prototype was expected to be developed in ICF by December 2022, but has been postponed. The tilting technology which aids
2706-567: The cost of upgrading infrastructure at either the Marathwada Rail Coach Factory in Latur or ICF where the train is planned to be manufactured. A further ₹ 320 billion (equivalent to ₹ 340 billion or US$ 4.1 billion in 2023) will be paid to the winning bidders over a 35-year period for maintenance. The bidders would be required to build the first prototype of this trainset within 24 months of being awarded
2788-525: The direction of travel in the executive class, and employs a regenerative braking system. This version reached a maximum speed of 180 km/h (110 mph). It could accelerate to a speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) in 54.6 seconds and reach its maximum speed in 145 seconds. Trains were equipped with 24-inch (61 cm) television screens that serve as the passenger information and entertainment system. The train's underframe electrical equipment can withstand floods up to 400 mm (16 in). Among
2870-653: The early 2010s. From the late 1990s, the ICF coaches were replaced by safer and newer LHB coaches designed by Linke-Hofmann-Busch of Germany . In the late 2010s, Indian railways started upgrading the coaches of select express trains from LHB to new Tejas coaches with enhanced features. As of March 2022, Indian Railways had 84,863 passenger coaches. Semi-high speed Train 18 was rolled out in 2018. These self-propelled EMU train sets manufactured by Integral Coach Factory are capable of reaching 180 kilometres per hour (110 mph). These trains have eight or sixteen coaches with driver cabins on both ends, which eliminates
2952-431: The event of lighting system failure, fire survival cables within door circuits, ventilation for three hours in the event that the air conditioner loses power, and four additional emergency push buttons per coach. The new coaches are also equipped with a centralised coach-monitoring system for all types of electricity and climate control, among other new additions. An official added that the new coaches would be provided with
3034-473: The existing fastest train with an average speed of 117.5 km/h (73.0 mph). There were significant issues such as the adaptation of rakes , maintenance, higher costs and robustness. Indian Railways could not reach a direct agreement and the deal never materialised. After foreign proposals for introducing semi-high-speed trains were unsuccessful, the Make in India campaign fuelled the cause for developing
3116-559: The fare as standard. The first service was introduced in February 2019. By December 2023, about 35 trains were operational. As of 8 October 2024, 66 Vande Bharat trains are in service, which includes 17 sixteen-car services, 4 twenty-car service and 45 eight-car services. [REDACTED] Media related to Vande Bharat Express trains at Wikimedia Commons Express trains in India#Superfast India has
3198-501: The fastest EMU train in India after attaining a speed of 180 km/h, during its test run at the Kota-Sawai Madhopur section. This speed was 4 km/h shy of India's overall best record of 184 km/h achieved by a WAP-5 Class locomotive back in 1997. Train 18 was renamed as 'Vande Bharat Express' as an acknowledgement for the fact that it was completely built in India by Indian engineers. On 15 February 2019,
3280-466: The first Vande Bharat Express between New Delhi and Varanasi was flagged off at the New Delhi railway station by Prime Minister Narendra Modi . The train ran from New Delhi to Varanasi via Kanpur and Prayagraj , connecting Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi to the capital city and reduced the existing travel time along the route by 15%. The 8-hour journey from New Delhi to Varanasi station covered
3362-567: The first generation of the train. It is lighter, weighing 392 tonnes (386 long tons; 432 short tons) compared to 430 tonnes (420 long tons; 470 short tons) of the previous version, and is equipped with larger 32-inch (81 cm) television screens and Wi-Fi on board. The air conditioning system on the VB2 utilises 15% less energy than the system on the first Vande Bharat trainset. VB2 also has automatic plug doors, sliding doors that don't need to be touched, emergency communication units, accessible toilets,
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3444-566: The first railway line in India at Madras . In 1837, the first train ran on Red Hill railway line between Red Hills and Chintadripet in Madras and was hauled by a rotary steam engine imported from England . In 1853, the first passenger train ran between Bombay and Thane which covered a distance of 54 km (34 mi) in 57 minutes, averaging a speed of 57 km/h (35 mph). Earlier trains ran using steam locomotives , where barely reached speeds of 90 km/h (56 mph). With
3526-501: The first trains to reach speeds of up to 120 km/h (75 mph). Shatabdi Express , introduced in 1988, are capable of running at a maximum speed of 150 km/h (93 mph). In 2019, Vande Bharat Express was launched with self-propelled EMU train-sets capable of reaching maximum speed of 180 km/h (110 mph) with operational speeds restricted to 130–160 km/h (81–99 mph). A non-airconditioned semi-high speed train-set hauled by two modified WAP-5 locomotives
3608-432: The fourth largest national railway system by size with a track length of 132,310 km (82,210 mi), running track length of 106,493 km (66,172 mi) and route length of 68,584 km (42,616 mi). Track sections are rated for speeds ranging from 80 to 200 km/h (50 to 124 mph), though the maximum speed attained by passenger trains is 160 km/h (99 mph). In 2009, Indian Railways started
3690-483: The general or unreserved coaches. India has some of the lowest train fares in the world, and lower class passenger fares are subsidised. Discounted fares are applicable for railway employees, the differently-abled, students, athletes, patients and those taking competitive examinations. Seats of lower class of accommodation are reserved for women or senior citizens in some trains. Vande Bharat (trainset) The Vande Bharat trainset, formerly known as Train 18 ,
3772-558: The implementation of regional high-speed rail projects to provide services at 250–350 km/h (160–220 mph), and planning for corridors connecting commercial, tourist, and pilgrimage hubs. On 25 July 2013, Government of India established the High Speed Rail Corporation for the implementation of high-speed rail corridor projects and in 2014, the Diamond Quadrilateral high speed rail project
3854-438: The imported components were the wheels, seats, doors, braking system, transformers, and electronic parts such as processing chips. The second generation trains were built in 2022 and they could accelerate to a speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) in a record time of 52 seconds, compared to the 54 seconds taken by the older version. The train could reach a speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) in 140 seconds, 5 seconds faster than
3936-504: The introduction of WP class locomotives in 1947, speeds of 100 km/h (62 mph) were operated commercially. While the first electric train ran in Bombay in 1925 on DC traction, WCP-1 class electric locomotives were introduced in 1928, capable of hauling trains at speeds of up to 137 km/h (85 mph), though trains operated at lower speed. On 1 April 1929, Grand Trunk Express commenced operations between Peshawar in
4018-436: The introduction of electric locomotives in later 1920s and newer steam locomotives, speeds of 100 km/h (62 mph) were achieved. With the movement to AC traction in late 1950s and introduction of diesel locomotives , maximum speeds of up to 120 km/h (75 mph) were achieved in the late 1960s. With the introduction of high power electric locomotives in the 1990s, operating speeds of 130 km/h (81 mph)
4100-411: The last three digits indicating the class. In 2018, the numbering system was changed with the first two digits indicating the year of manufacture and the last four digits indicating the sequence number. As of March 2022, Indian Railways manages and operates 7,308 stations. Prior to 2017, the stations were classified into seven categories based on their earnings. Since 2017, Indian Railways categorizes
4182-574: The late 1990s, the ICF coaches were replaced by safer and newer LHB coaches designed by Linke-Hofmann-Busch of Germany . In December 2009, the Ministry of Railways of Government of India envisaged the implementation of high-speed rail projects to provide services at 250–350 km/h (160–220 mph) with the upgradation of existing tracks, construction of new lines and introduction of high speed trainsets. In 2014, proposals were made to introduce semi-high-speed 160–200 km/h (99–124 mph) services between major cities. In 2016, Gatimaan Express
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#17327726664114264-420: The minimum essential amenities required by each station. Express trains stop at select set of stations identified using a combination of factors including commercial importance, traffic and capabilities. Indian Railways offers various travel classes on its coaches . For the purpose of identification in passenger trains , coaches in a train-set are assigned an alpha-numeric code. The first letter identifies
4346-428: The next generation EMU semi-high-speed trainsets locally. ICF worked on an indigenous design, which was constructed at the Integral Coach Factory. These trainsets known as Train 18 initially, were introduced in 2018 and reached speeds of up to 183 km/h (114 mph) in trials. These trainsets were later renamed to Vande Bharat . On 15 February 2019, the first Vande Bharat Express between New Delhi and Varanasi
4428-628: The operational speed of the passenger trains to 160 km/h (99 mph). In 2014, the Diamond Quadrilateral high-speed rail network project was launched by Government of India and is envisioned to connect the four major metro cities of India namely: Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. The Ministry of Railways envisaged to have dedicated standard gauge tracks capable of top speeds of 300–350 km/h (190–220 mph) with trains running on elevated corridors to isolate high-speed train tracks by 2026 and identified probable routes for
4510-441: The operational versions of the train are given below: The following EMU trainsets which are influenced by the Vande Bharat are currently in the preliminary stages of design and will be introduced in the near future. The sleeper EMU trainsets are being built with sleeper coaches for long-distance travel. They will have three classes: 1A, 2A and 3A. The train is expected to have a maximum speed of 220 km/h (140 mph) and
4592-406: The passenger and fare details along with berth or seat number(s) allocated to them on the ticket. In case of no confirmed reservation, a wait-list number is assigned and wait-listed tickets get confirmed if there are cancellations of already reserved tickets. Reservation against cancellation tickets is an intermediate category between the waiting and confirmed lists in sleeper classes which allows
4674-467: The production of new sets with more time provided to come up with the cheapest bid for the upgrades required. The second generation trainsets entered service on 30 September 2022. Since Vande Bharat trains provide fast service across short-distances, similar to the Shatabdi Express, the trains will eventually replace the existing Shatabdis. As of 2023, ICF is developing long-distance version of
4756-494: The same and using the coaches were manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) at Madras and hauled by diesel locomotives , Rajdhani Express capable of reaching speeds of up to 120 km/h (75 mph) were introduced in 1969. With the introduction of WAP-1 electric locomotives, Shatabdi Express introduced in 1988, were capable of running at a maximum speed of 130 km/h (81 mph). From
4838-456: The same in 1962 with field trials commencing in 1967. The coaches were manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory at Madras and hauled by diesel locomotives . On 19 February 1969, the Government of India announced the introduction of a new express train capable of reaching speeds of up to 120 km/h (75 mph) in the railway budget . On 1 March 1969, the first Rajdhani Express
4920-552: The same time, Integral Coach Factory of Chennai , a government-owned manufacturer of rail coaches started developing EMUs indigenously. This is regarded as a major leap in the Indian railway industry as they became the earliest precursors to Vande Bharat technology. By the 1990s, Indian Railways had a large number of EMU trainsets within the cities of Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai on their suburban railways. For regular long-distance travel, India continued relying on locomotives . The inefficiency of these locomotive-hauled trains
5002-452: The same. A 174 km (108 mi) segment of track in the Tughlakabad – Agra Cantonment section supports semi-high speed passenger traffic of up to 160 km/h (99 mph). The early express rail coaches were based on a prototype by a Swiss company and were termed as ICF coaches after Integral coach factory (ICF), the first coach manufacturing unit in India. These coaches, manufactured from 1955 to 2018, were largely in use till
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#17327726664115084-442: The stations by commercial importance into three different categories namely Non Suburban Group (NSG), Suburban Group (SG) and Halt Group (HG). These are further subdivided into subcategories based on their commercial importance (NSG 1-6, SG 1-3 and from HG 1-3). The commercial importance of a station is determined by taking into account its passenger footfall, earnings and strategic importance and these categories are used to determine
5166-411: The suburban belt. A decade later, India had several MEMUs operating across the country's electrified routes as a short-distance inter-city service. However, India still had to rely on locomotives for medium and long-distance travel. For most of Indian Railways' history, speed and comfort were not of primary concern as safety was of utmost importance. While India saw 325 accidents in 2003–04, this number
5248-419: The time needed for turnaround at the terminal station with faster acceleration and deceleration, enabling the train to travel at a top speed for longer distance. Coaches are manufactured by five manufacturing units of the Indian Railways and public sector companies BEML and BHEL. The coaching stock have unique five or six digit identifiers. Till 2018, the first two digits indicating the year of manufacture and
5330-411: The train in maintaining its speed on the curved sections is likely to be implemented in the future EMU trainsets which are planned to have a maximum speed of more than 200 km/h (120 mph). This will mark the first commercial deployment of such technology in India. The coaches are proposed to be made of a lightweight aluminium alloy and are expected to feature improved passenger amenities such as
5412-557: The train on a slope because they traverse sections of mountain passes. This feature is not available in other Vande Bharat trains. The Ajmer–Delhi Cantt. Vande Bharat express is a modified Vande Bharat train that has high-rise pantographs as the New Delhi-Jaipur route has a higher catenary for accommodating double-stacked containers and Double Decker Express trains. It is the world's first semi-high-speed passenger train with high-rise pantographs. The rake formations of all
5494-733: The trainset with sleeper cars . In December 2023, the Government announced a target to have 4,500 Vande Bharat trains by 2047. Vande Bharat Express uses Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trainsets manufactured by Integral Coach Factory in Chennai. The trainsets have sixteen or eight chair cars . A standard sixteen car rake consists of two Driving Trailer Coaches , one each on every end along with two non-driver trailer coaches, four trailer coaches with pantographs and eight motor coaches . A second generation sixteen car trainset weighs 392 tonnes and costs ₹ 115 crore (US$ 14 million). The chassis of
5576-421: The wheels. On 9 September 2022, trial runs for the second version of Vande Bharat Express were completed, during which it broke the acceleration record as it accelerated from 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) in just 52 seconds, making it two seconds faster than Japanese bullet trains in acceleration. It entered service on 30 September 2022. In early 2023, an allocation was made for Vande Bharat services with
5658-479: Was achieved with further developments leading to speeds of maximum speeds of 160 km/h (99 mph) being realized in the early 2010s. Vande Bharat Express , an Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) run service introduced in 2019, is the fastest operational express train with a maximum permitted speed of 160 km/h (99 mph). The history of the Indian Railway began in 1832 with the proposal to construct
5740-467: Was approved by the government. In April 2016, the WAP-5 hauled Gatimaan Express became the fastest commercial train in India, with a maximum operational speed of 160 km/h (99 mph). In 2018, Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, rolled out a semi-high-speed EMU train-set , capable of reaching 180 km/h (110 mph). In 2019, the first Vande Bharat Express entered commercial service with
5822-467: Was designed and manufactured by Integral Coach Factory in Chennai . Introduced in 2018, the trainsets achieved semi-high speeds of 183 km/h (114 mph) on trials, and crossed target trial speed of 180 km/h (110 mph) on trials, but the maximum operational speed is 160 km/h (99 mph) which is achieved by the Rani Kamalapati (Habibganj)–Hazrat Nizamuddin Vande Bharat Express and Hazrat Nizamuddin-Khajuraho Vande Bharat Express on
5904-482: Was designed with the LHB coach as a base. With sixteen chair cars and a 160 km/h speed, the technology was set to replace Shatabdi services. The manufacturing of Train 18 was coincidentally completed 18 months after initiation. It was built at a cost of ₹ 970 million (equivalent to ₹ 1.3 billion or US$ 16 million in 2023) and had 80% indigenous components. During its trial runs, Train 18 became
5986-673: Was done manually. Centralized computer reservation system was deployed in September 1996. The ticketing network at stations is computerized with the exception of few stations. The Indian Railways website went online in February 2000 and online ticketing was introduced on 3 August 2002 through IRCTC. Indian Railways now provides multiple channels for passengers to book tickets through website , smartphone apps , SMS , rail reservation counters at train stations, or through private ticket booking counters. Reserved tickets may be booked up to 60 days in advance and confirmed reservation tickets will show
6068-410: Was down to 106 in 2015–16. The replacement of old ICF coaches by the modern and safer LHB coaches also helped the cause significantly. During the same period, Indian Railways had introduced Gatimaan and Tejas services that enhanced comfort with their modern LHB coaches. As the next step, Indian Railways at ICF headed by general manager Sudhanshu Mani, started designing a new EMU trainset that
6150-523: Was flagged off at the New Delhi railway station by Prime Minister Narendra Modi . The train covered a distance of 759 km (472 mi) in 8 hours at an average speed of 95 km/h (59 mph) and reduced the existing travel time along the route by 15%. In October 2019, the second service was launched between New Delhi and Katra . After the inauguration of the first two services, Indian Railways stopped production of new train-sets owing to internal issues. In 2019, Indian Railways resumed tenders for
6232-491: Was flagged off from New Delhi to Howrah , which reached a maximum speed of 120 km/h (75 mph) and completed the 1,450 km (900 mi) trip in 17 hours 20 minutes at an average speed of 84 km/h (52 mph). In 1980, the WAP-1 electric locomotives capable of reaching speeds of 130 km/h (81 mph) were introduced to haul express trains. Shatabdi Express introduced in 1988, were capable of running at
6314-479: Was inaugurated which achieved speeds of 160 km/h (99 mph) between Delhi and Agra. In June 2016, Indian Railways sought Requests For Qualification (RFQ) to jointly manufacture five thousand Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) sets with interested international and domestic parties. In 2015, Talgo conducted trial runs on the Mumbai–Delhi line , completing the journey in ten hours, almost six hours quicker than
6396-453: Was introduced in Mumbai as a suburban railway service on 3 February 1925. With an increase in demand post-independence, India began to import EMUs from Europe and Japan , before it could manufacture indigenously. In the 1960s, BHEL , an Indian public sector giant started manufacturing electrical equipment for indigenous EMUs, which then started entering service in the same decade. During
6478-1043: Was launched as Amrit Bharat Express . A high-speed rail line is under-construction between Mumbai and Ahmedabad which will become the first true high-speed rail line when completed in 2026. As of 2023 , the maximum operational speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) is achieved by Gatimaan Express and Vande Bharat Express on the above section. India Railways operates various categories of express trains including Vande Bharat Express , Rajdhani Express , Shatabdi Express , Amrit Bharat Express , Garib Rath Express , Double Decker Express , Tejas Express , Gatimaan Express , Humsafar Express , Duronto Express , Yuva Express , Uday Express , Jan Shatabdi Express , Sampark Kranti Express , Vivek Express , Rajya Rani Express , Mahamana Express , Antyodaya Express , Jan Sadharan Express , Suvidha Express and Intercity Express . As of 2022 , Indian Railways operated 2,999 express trains on average daily. In 1986, computerized ticketing and reservations were introduced before which ticketing
6560-455: Was set to be developed at half the imported cost. Since these trains were planned to be ready by 2018, they were named 'Train-2018' and later 'Train 18'. They were designed to be fully air-conditioned and equipped with automatic doors, onboard Wi-Fi, and infotainment and many other modern facilities. It would mark the beginning of a new era in the Indian Railways where modern EMUs for long distances beyond suburban railways started plying. Train 18
6642-539: Was set to expand in numbers but Indian Railways had stopped the production of new sets owing to internal issues. After the intervention of the Railway Minister, Railways decided to resume tenders for the production of new sets. However, they wished to provide more time so that the manufacturers could come up with the cheapest bid and because the train would require a major upgrade from scratch, as per one railway official. In January 2021, Indian Railways awarded
6724-467: Was soon felt while the developed world already had well-built EMU high-speed technology by the 1990s. EMUs for longer distances were conceived on the long-distance main lines, which led to the development of mainline electric multiple units (MEMU). With the advantages of faster acceleration-deceleration, presence of driver cabins at both ends, being energy efficient with regenerative braking , encouraged Indian Railways to develop MEMUs for distances beyond
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