Indian Railways is expected to roll out the third Vande Bharat Express train before August 15.
This is after three years since the first rake began service between Delhi and Varanasi.
The latest and upgraded Vande Bharat Express is a prototype rake with several new improvements.
It will be thoroughly tested by RDSO before it is cleared for commercial run sometime this year.
The Integral Coach Factory in Chennai is also working to finish manufacturing the 4th Vande Bharat Express rake by the end of this month.
Contents
Comfortable seating
The new train will have plane-style seats offering better sitting and reclining comfort compared to the first two Vande Bharat trains.
Speed
The new Vande Bharat can attain a speed of 160 kmph in 140 seconds.
This is 5 second faster than the earlier ones.
Safety
For easy evacuation in emergencies, four emergency windows have been added in every coach.
The new trains are provided with the indigenous system Kavach.
This is an automatic train protection system to avoid train collisions by activating the train braking system automatically.
Flood proofing
The train has better flood proofing for its under-slung electrical equipment.
This means that it will be able to withstand floods up to a height of 650 mm as against 400 mm earlier.
AC, Air circulation
Better heat ventilation and air-conditioning control will be provided by using higher efficiency compressors with UV lamps to ensure germ-free air supply.
Infotainment
The screens displaying passenger information and infotainment are made bigger in every coach.
They are now 32 inches instead of the 24 inches in the earlier trains.
In case of fires
Fire detection system based on an aerosol fire suppression system replaces the smoke detection system in the earlier coaches.
This ensures better fire safety of the train.
75 by 2023
PM Narendra Modi had announced 75 Vande Bharat trains by 2023 on Independence Day speech last year.
Following this FM Nirmala Sitharaman shared the Railways’ plan to roll out 400 Vande Bharat trains in the coming years.
The new trains will be in the chair car configuration and also sleeper type, essentially rendering them an upgraded version of the premium Rajdhani Express trains.