New Delhi, October 13: The new version of the Vande Bharat Express train is a game changer for rail development projects in the country, Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Thursday during a journey onboard the newly launched Vande Bharat Express.
Ashwini Vaishnaw said PM Modi had announced 75 Vande Bharat Trains to connect all parts of the country by August 2022. "In this series, we have launched Vande Bharat Express from Amb Andaura, Una to New Delhi, today (October 13). This is a world-class train and gives a better riding experience. This is equipped with more advancements and improved features such as reaching a speed of 0 to 100 km per hour in just 52 seconds, and a maximum speed of up to 180 km per hour, " he added.
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Taking about the cattle hit cases on railway tracks, the minister said in our country, railway tracks were on ground level. On average, 80 cases of cattle hit happened every day. "It is a matter of concern for us. The front part of the train is designed in such a way that whenever any incident of collision happens, the kinetic energy of the train is absorbed in it. Those who are making the wrong assumption in this should understand that it is part of the engineering design," he added.
Vaishnaw said they were are working on the plan to fence the railway track. Also, they were working to build elevated tracks in dense populated areas. In the coming three to four years, they would implement this plan in many areas. Today, the tested speed of this train was 180 KMPH. When tracks would be upgraded in the coming days, the speed would be increased to 220-250 KMPH.
Notably, the improved Vande Bharat Express will weigh 392 tons when compared to the previous version of 430 tonne. It will also have a Wi-Fi content on-demand facility. Every coach has 32" screens providing passenger information and infotainment compared to 24" in the previous version.
Vande Bharat Express will also be environmentally friendly as the ACs will be 15 per cent more energy efficient. With dust-free clean air cooling of the traction motor, travel will become more comfortable. A side recliner seat facility provided only to Executive Class passengers earlier will now be made available for all classes. Executive Coaches have the added feature of 180-degree rotating seats.
In the new design of Vande Bharat Express, a photo-catalytic ultraviolet air purification system is installed in the Roof-Mounted Package Unit (RMPU) for air purification. As recommended by Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO), Chandigarh, this system is designed and installed on both ends of RMPU to filter and clean the air free from germs, bacteria, viruses etc. coming through fresh air and return air.
The Vande Bharat Express 2.0 offers a myriad of superior and aircraft-like travelling experiences. It is equipped with advanced state-of-the-art safety features including an indigenously developed Train Collision Avoidance System - KAVACH.
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-PTC News with ANI inputs
