The new set of 16-coach semi-high velocity Vande Bharat Express trains, two of that are anticipated to hit the tracks for trials in August, can be manufactured at an estimated value of Rs 115 crore every, officers mentioned on Friday. However, the worth will lower considerably as soon as the coaches are manufactured in bulk, they added. The railways has a goal of producing 75 such trains by August 2023.
While two such trains are already operating between Delhi and Katra and Delhi and Varanasi, the following set can have 75 upgraded variations of those trains by way of safety and passenger facilities, the officers mentioned.
“The cost of manufacturing a 16-coach Vande Bharat train would be roughly Rs 110 crore to Rs 120 crore. You may say, it is Rs 115 crore on an average. Our upgradations are improvements only and as we make more trains, our cost decreases. With volume, the cost will come down further,” General Manager, Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, AK Agarwal mentioned. The ICF had rolled out the 2 earlier trains at a value of Rs 106 crore every.
The largest security characteristic of the brand new set of Vande Bharat trains can be using the prepare collision avoidance system (TCAS) or Kavach to stop sign passing at hazard (SPAD) circumstances, unsafe conditions arising as a consequence of over velocity and prepare collisions within the station space in addition to within the block part.
The trains may even have a centralised coach-monitoring system, whereby all electrical elements and local weather management can be monitored on a real-time foundation by a delegated individual. Compared to the sooner variations, the brand new trains have been upgraded with a number of security options, together with hearth detection alarms within the coaches, a fireplace detection suppression system within the cubicles and bogs, catastrophe lights, emergency lights — two within the passenger space and one within the doorway. The security measures additionally embrace 4 emergency home windows per coach, whereas earlier it was two.
Passengers coping with emergencies can now have an quick access to emergency push buttons and emergency talk-back items, utilizing which they will communicate to the loco pilot. The numbers of each of have been elevated from two to 4. With cattle run over inflicting severe injury to the prepare exteriors, the brand new trains can have strengthened fibred strengthened plastic like those utilized in plane.
The ICF has additionally taken into consideration passenger suggestions and redesigned the seats by changing the sliding reclining ones with aircraft-like reclining seats.
“The new trains will provide better riding comfort to passengers. We have designed a better bogie and the final trains will be 99-per cent ‘desi’ with only small components sourced from outside India. They will have automatic doors, sensor-operated doors for coaches, reduced jerks, wider windows, more space for luggage,” Agarwal mentioned.
The ICF is planning to fabricate round 10 trains per thirty days and finally, theF-Kapurthala and the Modern Coach Factory in Rae Bareilly may even begin manufacturing these coaches to fulfill the goal of 400 Vande Bharat trains over the following three years.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi setting a goal of 75 such trains by August 2023, the railways confronted a significant roadblock in reaching its purpose when the wheels of the trains have been caught in war-hit Ukraine.
Earlier this month, 128 wheels have been transported by vans from Ukraine to Romania, from the place these have been airlifted to Chennai. From the Chennai airport, the wheels have been taken to the manufacturing unit of Medha Servo Drives Limited in Hyderabad, the place the bogie — the wheels and the axle — can be assembled and despatched again to the ICF for the ultimate meeting.
The trials of the trains, which have been speculated to be performed in May, have been pushed again to August as a result of Ukraine roadblock.
Source: www.financialexpress.com”