400 energy-efficient Vande Bharat trains to launch in next 3 years
Each trainset will be 50 tonnes lighter in weight, consuming much less energy than their counterparts made of steel
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New Delhi, February 1: India will be manufacturing 400 new energy-efficient Vande Bharat trains in the next 3 years, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in her Budget today.
Vande Bharat is the name given to India’s own semi-high speed self-propelled trainset, a collection of 16 coaches, which doesn't require an engine to haul them. This is called distributed traction power, which is increasingly becoming the norm the world over, as opposed to locomotive-hauled trains.
As for safety, the indigenous anti-collision system, called Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) now renamed as “Kavach”, which has been in several stages of use over past several years, will cover 2000 km of rail network.
Railways is already in process of making an installment of 44 Vande Bharat trains, in order to have Vande Bharat trains running on at least 75 routes by August 15, 2023.
That apart, with an eye on farmers, the rail sector will also develop “One Station One Product”, which will leverage local produce carried on the railways, she said. Bringing out new products, Railways will also roll out postal railways for carriage of parcels, giving a boost to a new business area.
The highlight of Sitharaman’s announcement, part of a larger, multimodal plan for infrastructure development under PM Gati Shakti, is the new Vande Bharat trains.
The 400 new Vande Bharat trains will be made of light-weight aluminum, as opposed to steel, marking a departure from India’s traditional choice of metal for making its coaches.
Each trainset will be 50 tonnes lighter in weight, consuming much less energy than their counterparts made of steel. The cost of each trainset is around Rs 25 crore more than current trainsets, which cost around Rs 106 crore per set of 16 coaches. However, sources said that by factoring in inflation and other associated costs of the current steel-made Vande Bharat sets, the aluminium ones come out to be marginally higher, whereas the money saved by way of less energy consumed is much higher, translating into a higher revenue potential for Railways, officials said.
Vande Bharat is the name given to India’s own semi-high speed self-propelled trainset, a collection of 16 coaches, which doesn't require an engine to haul them. This is called distributed traction power, which is increasingly becoming the norm the world over, as opposed to locomotive-hauled trains.
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The rolling stock program may see projects worth over Rs 1 lakh crore spread over the next few years including manufacturing of new Vande Bharat trainsets, new high-performance freight locomotives and other products.
As for safety, the indigenous anti-collision system, called Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) now renamed as “Kavach”, which has been in several stages of use over past several years, will cover 2000 km of rail network.
Railways is already in process of making an installment of 44 Vande Bharat trains, in order to have Vande Bharat trains running on at least 75 routes by August 15, 2023.