Train18 has already overtaken Shatabdi on the railway track

Train18 has already overtaken Shatabdi on the railway track

PW Bureau

Train 18, India's first engineless train, is reportedly going to start operations from December 25 from New Delhi to Varanasi

New Delhi: On its trial run, Train18 has nudged out Shatabdi to claim the title of the country's fastest train as it crossed the 180 kilometres per hour (kmph) mark during a trial run in the Kota-Sawai Madhopur section.

Sharing a video of the trial run in his tweet, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said, "Train 18, manufactured domestically under the 'Make in India' initiative, seen scorching the tracks at a phenomenal 180 kmph during speed trials in Rajasthan."

Train 18 might start operations from Dec 25

Train 18, India's first engineless train, is reportedly going to start operations from December 25 from New Delhi to Varanasi. "Christmas Day also happens to be the birthday of late prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and it would be a tribute to the great statesman of the country if we manage to launch the next-generation train on that day," a senior official was quoted as saying by a news agency.

The engineless train will take about eight hours to reach Varanasi from New Delhi and will reduce the travel time by six hours. According to the schedule, the train will depart at 6 am and will arrive in Varanasi by 2 pm. On its return journey, the train will depart at 2.30 pm from Varanasi and will arrive in Delhi by 10.30 pm. Fares are yet to be decided. Since the input cost is high, it's very likely that the fare will also be higher than normal.

Some of the premium features of Train 18 include:

  1. The 16-coach train will have two executive compartments with 52 seats each and trailer coaches will have 78 seats each.
  2. Train 18, the Rs 100 crore train, when made operational, will become the country's fastest train.
  3. Train 18 will have onboard WiFi, a GPS-based information system, touch-free bio-vacuum toilets, LED lighting, mobile charging points, and a climate control system that adjusts the temperature according to occupancy and the weather.
  4. This high-tech train will provide a major boost to the government's Make in India campaign. More than 80 per cent of the train's components have been manufactured in India.
  5. The train was designed by Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai.
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