In the upcoming months, Indian Railways will launch three high-quality trains: a Vande Bharat sleeper version, a Vande Metro, and even a brand-new train with enhanced general and second 3-tier coaches. BG Mallya, General Manager of ICF, Chennai, discusses the planned projects and how the Vande Bharat sleeper train will be superior to the Rajdhani Express. BG Mallya has been a railway employee for more than 30 years. He is an IRSEE officer from the 1985 batch.
What is the state of the initiative called Sleeper Vande Bharat? When will the prototype be released, and how many trains does ICF hope to produce?
Designs for the car bodies are available. The interior design is currently being finalised. In the current fiscal, one prototype 16-car train is planned for deployment. Following that, more trains will be introduced in the ensuing fiscal years.
How will the amenities and features of the sleeper Vande Bharat trains be better than those of the Rajdhani trains?
The Vande Bharat sleeper trains will have the following features that the Rajdhani Express trains do not:
- Infotainment and WiFi on board
- Higher aesthetic standards and interiors that are tailored for comfort
- Light ambience
- Passenger information system and public address system.
- Detection of smoke and fire.
- Vehicle surveillance system with a digital destination board
- Mechanism for centrally monitoring coaches
- A talkback unit for emergencies
- System to prevent train collisions(Kavach)
How many additional chair car Vande Bharat trains would ICF introduce this fiscal?
In the current year, a total of 75 chair car trains are planned for deployment. Twenty-five of these have already been delivered.
What lessons have been learned from ‘Make in India’ for a project of this size?
The most important lessons are the necessity of building enough capacity for forging wheels and axles and integrated circuits domestically. The Ministry of Railways has previously taken action on both of these matters. A contract for about 15 lakh forged wheels over a 20-year period was given to a group made up of Ramkrishna Forgings and Titagarh Waggons in June of this year.
The Vande Metro project has also been declared by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. How far along is the project right now?
The designs are ready, and the launch of the prototype rake is planned for this fiscal year.
Second class 3-tier sleeper coaches and second class unreserved coaches are being upgraded for a new train that is currently being built. Describe the project to us.
A 22-car train consisting of 12 non-AC sleeper coaches, 8 general second class carriages, and 2 luggage-cum-guard vans would make up this particular train. At ICF, these coaches would be produced. Two dedicated WAP5 locomotives, one at either end of the train, would be equipped with push-pull operation and aerodynamic design.
For improved safety and passenger comfort, these trains would incorporate gangways, semi-permanent couplers, destination boards, and nicer interiors. The launch of this train is planned for this year.
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