Sources told TOI that Chennai’s Integral Coach Factory is also working to complete production of the fourth Vande Bharat Express rake by the end of this month. Let’s take a look at 15 new enhancements expected in the next generation Vande Bharat Express:
1. The new train will have aircraft-style seats that offer better seating and reclining comfort than the first two Vande Bharat trains. The driving index will be 3.5 for passenger comfort.
2. The time taken by the new Vande Bharat to reach a speed of 160 km / h will be 140 seconds, compared to 145 seconds earlier. The residual acceleration at 160 km / h will be 0.1 m / second versus 0.05 m / second.
Interior of the new Vande Bharat Express
3. For easy evacuation of passengers in the event of an unpleasant accident, four emergency windows have been added to each carriage.
4. A great addition to safety in the new Vande Bharat trains will be the provision of the indigenous Kavach system. This is an automatic train protection system to avoid train collisions. Kavach is intended to provide protection by preventing trains from passing the signal to Danger (red) and avoiding the collision. Automatically activates the train’s braking system.
5. The train will use improved flood protection for its undergoing electrical equipment. The new Vande Bharat will be able to withstand flooding up to a height of 650 mm compared to the previous 400 mm.
6. Better heat ventilation and air conditioning control will be provided using higher efficiency compressors with UV lamps to ensure germ-free air supply.
7. There will be a passenger information and infotainment system larger than 32 inches in each carriage instead of the 24 inches in the previous trains.
8. There will also be a change of train formation with the unmanned carriage in the center. This will be similar to an EMU for better acceleration and deceleration.
9. An improved coach control management system will be used for air conditioning monitoring, communication and feedback to the control center / maintenance personnel via GSM / GPRS.
10. The carriages of the new Vande Bharat will have Level II safety integration certification for better train control management.
11. The new Vande Bharat will have four side cameras on the platform, including rear view cameras on the outside of the bus instead of two.
Interior of the new Vande Bharat Express
12. A fire detection system based on an aerosol fire extinguishing system in all carriages will be used in all carriages instead of a smoke detection system in the previous carriages. This will ensure better fire safety of the train.
13. Two signal exchange lights were installed on the carriages to exchange signals with the on-board stations. There will be a separate ventilation duct on the side wall from a part of the traction motor previously.
14. Driver-guard communication will come with a voice recording facility. There will also be Class 3 and 4 surge arresters for electrical safety compared to previous Class 2 and 3 surge arresters.
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15. Four emergency lights will be provided in each carriage to power the lights in case all electrical connections are broken. The first trains did not have emergency lights, the railways say. The self-propelled Vande Bharat train the set will have a 3 hour backup battery against 1 hour before.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced 75 Vande Bharat trains by 2023 in his Independence Day speech last year. Soon after, FM Nirmala Sitharaman talked about the Indian Railways plan to launch 400 Vande Bharat trains over the next few years. The new trains will not only be in carriage configuration, but also sleeper type, effectively making them an upgraded version of the premium Rajdhani Express trains.
In addition, for the first time, Indian railways are trying to produce aluminum trains with the help of foreign original equipment manufacturers. The goal is to usher in a new era of technologically advanced trains that also offer superior passenger comfort.
