All You Need To Know About “Train 18”: India’s First Engine-less Train

The first trial of train 8 would be conducted on the Bareilly-Moradabad section on the Standard railway track to achieve a normal speed of 115 km per hour. Later in the second phase, the train 18 touched 180 km per hour between Kota and Sawai Madhopur track. While the final would be on New Delhi to Bhopal section via Agra.

Following the trials, it is expected to replace the current fastest train in the Shatabdi Express on the Delhi-Bhopal route. Significantly the final destination of the Delhi-Bhopal Shatabdi Express is Habibganj. The first Indian railway stations are being developed as a world-class transit hub.

In all probability, by January 2019 India’s first world-class semi high-speed train will take passengers to India’s first class railway station at Habibganj. Indian Railways is set to a new era with its first made in India engineless train name train 18 also known as the T 18. the train will hit the track for trials on 29th October 2018.

India’s First Engineless Train 18 Features

• Driven by a self-propulsion module sans a separate locomotive.
• Capable of running at a speed of up to 160 Kmph.
• Technical features for enhanced quick acceleration.
• Swanky 16-coach prototype without a locomotive.
• Expected to cut travel time by 15% compared to Shatabdi trains.
• Developed by Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory in 18 months.
• Aerodynamically designed driver cabins at both ends for a quicker turnaround at destinations.
• The advanced regenerative braking system that saves power.
• Better passenger comfort and safety.
• Two executive compartments in the middle with 52 seats each
• Trailer coaches have 78 seats each.
• Rotatable seats in Executive class to match the train’s direction.
• Train Management System in driver’s cab to ensure precise brake control, automated control of doors.
• Coach doors to open only when the train is at zero Kmph.
• The train will start only when all coach doors are properly closed.

Train 18 Is Self- Propelled Train

• Automated sliding steps to avoid the risk of passengers falling.
• CCTV cameras to help a driver in monitoring movement of passengers on the platform.
• Emergency talks back units for passengers to talk to a crew in case of emergency.
• Disabled-friendly toilets, space for baby care, special pantry units.

Train 18 Is Indigenous Engineless Train

• No requirement of locomotives for hauling.
• Saving of around 20% in terms of lifecycle cost with Train 18 compared to Shatabdi Express.
• Train 18 will require less maintenance due to its 3-phase propulsion system, new generation bodies.
• The weight of Train 18 considerably less.

Train 20

• Railways to manufacture world-class engineless train
• It will be the most ambitious ‘Make In India’ project yet
• India has called for foreign collaborators, bidders.
• It may be launched by 2020.
• Train 20 will run at 160 km/hr.
• Trains to be manufactured by Integral Coach Factory.
• May operate on Delhi-Mumbai, other major metro routes.
• Budgeted at Rs 2,500 crore.
• May have 14 train sets, with each having 20 regular and 11 spare coaches.
• Total of 291 coaches to be manufactured under an order for Indian Railways.
• India has invited bids for the ambitious project.
• Contract to cover design, development, manufacturing, testing, commissioning of train sets.
• After first two-three coaches that will be shipped from abroad, remaining rakes to be built entirely at ICF.
• New coaches expected to be safer and adaptable for every new technology to seamlessly blend in.
• Indian Railways gearing up to offer passengers a world-class experience by 2020.

Virgin Hyperloop One(Indian Railway Another Biggest Project

• India’s futuristic transportation company backed by British tycoon Richard Branson.
• Company willing to build a network of high-speed pods.
• These pods can carry people, cargo across India.
• Mumbai-Pune Hyperloop: Proposed 1000 km/hr Hyperloop system will take 14 mins to commute between Mumbai and Pune.
• The route is the most feasible, can be made operational by 2026.
• Commuters, cargo will travel in pods in near-vacuum tubes.