The rail coach maker has manufactured all Vande Bharat train sets so far to have been launched, on various routes.
Vande Bharat express (RailMinIndia/ Twitter)
Vande Bharat just hit a quarter century. The Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF), the manufacturer of the semi-high-speed trains, has rolled out the 25th Vande Bharat Express train set.
The latest trainset to roll out of the factory is bound for Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, a top official said on Saturday, 24 June.
The rail coachmaker has manufactured all Vande Bharat trainsets that have been launched so far on various routes, ICF General Manager BG Mallya said, adding that the state-of-the-art train has captured the hearts of all Indians.
“I am very happy to inform you that, thanks to your efforts, this morning ICF has turned out the 25th Vande Bharat trainset. This train is going to Bhopal,” Mallya said in a video message to employees of the state-run entity and shared with the media in Chennai.
He thanked and lauded the workforce for reaching the milestone.
The first Vande Bharat train to run in South India was on the Chennai-Bengaluru-Mysuru route. The train was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 11 November, 2022, in Bengaluru.
This express train covers the distance in 6 hours and 30 minutes.
The Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam Vande Bharat was launched on 15 January, again by the prime minister. The express train covers the distance in 8 hours and 30 minutes.
On 8 April, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated two Vande Bharat trains. One on the Chennai-Coimbatore route and the other running for Secunderbad to Tirupati.
While the Chennai- Coimbatore route is covered in 5 hours and 50 minutes, the Secunderbad-Tirupati route is covered in 8 hours and 15 minutes.
The latest Vande Bharat in South India, and the first in Kerala, runs from Thiruvananthapuram Central to Kasaragod. It was inaugurated by Modi on 25 April and covers the distance in 8 hours and 5 minutes.
On 19 June, the Bengaluru -Dharwad Vande Bharat Express had a trial run, and it is expected that the route would be opened soon.
The Vande Bharat trains are lighter and have a faster top speed. These trains take about 52 seconds to accelerate to 100 kmph and can reach a maximum speed of 160 kmph.
The semi-high-speed trains are equipped with advanced state-of-the-art safety features, including an anti-collision system and an indigenously developed Train Collision Avoidance System, called KAVACH.
It also has four emergency windows for each coach, four platform side cameras instead of just two, and rearward cameras outside the coach. The disaster lights in the coaches come with a battery backup of three hours.
Furthermore, it offers an on-demand, Wi-Fi connectivity-enabled infotainment system, and a 32-inch LCD screen in every coach.
As per the Ministry of Railways, the air inside the train gets filtered through a photo-catalytic ultraviolet purification system. It filters and cleans the air of germs, bacteria, viruses, etc., to the extent of 99 percent.
It also provides Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC), and sliding footsteps in coaches, for a better passenger experience and saves about 30 percent on electricity with its advanced regenerative braking system.
The Vande Bharat train has 16 coaches, with a total seating capacity of 1,128 passengers. It offers two spacious options — AC Chair Car (CC) and Executive Chair Car (EC). While all seats are recliners, the executive coaches have the added feature of 360-degree rotating seats.
(With PTI inputs)
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