Vande Bharat Train From Chennai to Mysuru: Details and Benefits

Introduction

As of November 2022, the Indian Railways will run the semi-high-speed, electric multiple unit Vande Bharat Express, formerly known as Train 18. It will run on 5 routes. Under the Make in India programme, it was created by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Perambur, Chennai. The initial train took 18 months to build. Unit costs for the first set of second-generation trains were estimated at 115 crore (US$14 million) and 100 crore (equivalent to 114 crore or US$14 million in 2020) respectively. After the train’s launch on February 15th, 2019, it was anticipated that a second unit would have been manufactured and prepared for use.The program’s new name is “Vande Bharat Express,” as of January 27, 2019.

160 km/h is the top commercial speed of the Vande Bharat Express. During testing, it reached speeds of more than 180 km/h, but because its tracks cannot support such high speeds, the train is only run at a top speed of 130 km/h. According to its maximum permitted speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) during the Tughlakabad to Agra portion of its route, the Gatimaan Express is the fastest train in India. The Habibganj-New Delhi Shatabdi Express is the second fastest train in India according to its maximum permissible speed of 150 kmph during the Tughlakabad to Agra Cant portion of its route.

On September 30, 2022, two Facebook posts on a page with verified tags indicating that the page belongs to Western Railway were made: The first and second versions each take 145 and 129 seconds to reach 0-100 mph (0-160 Kmph), respectively. In just 52 seconds, the second version reaches 0-100 Kmph. The Designated Residual Acceleration of the first version is 0.05 m/s2, and the Designated Residual Acceleration of the second version is 0.11 m/s2.

History

Background

India had long-term plans to establish a high-speed rail system. The Indian Railways’ top priorities were safety and cost. The goal of Indian Railways was to increase its top speed from 85 km/h (53 mph) to 150 km/h (93 mph). After introducing the Gatimaan Express in 2016, which is still the fastest operating train to date, Indian Railways went on to reach speeds of 99 mph by the middle of the 2010s. Building a more contemporary, higher-speed rail was the logical next step for Indian Railways.

The Indian Railways decided to move forward with building it entirely in India after launching a tender in June 2015 and discovering that none of the bids were competitive. Early in 2017, it was anticipated that the domestic engine-less (EMU) semi-high-speed train would travel at a speed of 160 km/h and include modern amenities (99 mph). Due to the semi-high-speed services’ intended completion in 2018, two new train sets were announced to be produced in ICF and given the name “Train-2018.”

Manufacturing First Set

‘Train-2018’ was finished in manufacturing in October 2018. It was intended to replace the Shatabdi Express, which had been in operation for 30 years but required 15% more time to complete the same route. According to numerous speed certificates of LHB coach trains on the RDSO website, India conducted a trial run at this speed for the first time in 2000 by a train with LHB coaches, but the Vande Bharat Express has higher acceleration. During test runs, the train reached an operational speed of 180 km/h.

Inauguration

On February 15, 2019, Train 18 was officially inaugurated and prepared to start operating between New Delhi and Varanasi after four years of preparation, manufacturing, and testing. In a short time, the railway minister changed its name to “Vande Bharat Express.”

The Railway Board approved the production of 45 new Vande Bharat train sets by 2022 following the success of the New Delhi-Varanasi route and later the New Delhi-Katra route. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic (which reduced annual production capacity by 12.5%) and other administrative problems, production was delayed. In spite of this, the Union minister chose to stick to the plan and instructed the workers to construct 10 trains by August 2022.

Present Day

The Hyderabad-based Medha Servo Drives received the contract from Indian Railways in January 2021 for the supply of the propulsion and control equipment for 44 rakes. At least five new set shells were said to be nearing completion as of November 2021, and the electronics would be installed in the following few months. Keeping the previous deadline in mind, ICF hoped to introduce at least one rake by March 2022. The government announced in the 2022 Union Budget that 400 more Vande Bharat Express vehicles would be produced over the following three years.

Design

The Vande Bharat Express’s exterior features an aerodynamic design that narrows the train at each end to reduce air resistance. It has a driver cabin at each end, making terminating stations’ turnaround times quicker. There are 16 passenger cars on the train, with a total seating capacity of 1,128 people. Two of the centre compartments are first class with 52 seats each, and the remaining compartments are coach with 78 seats each.

A coach’s chassis measures 23 metres in length, and the train’s frame is made entirely of stainless steel. The train takes 8 weeks to assemble. The percentage of indigenous materials used to create Vande Bharat ranges between 80 and 85%. The wheels and electronic components like chips are among the most important imported parts.

To ensure an even distribution of power and to facilitate more rapid acceleration and deceleration, alternate coaches are motorised. To improve movement between coaches and to lessen noise, the gangways are connected and completely sealed. The train has bio-vacuum restrooms, rotational seats that can be aligned in the direction of travel, and a GPIS-based passenger information system (only in executive class).

Only the seats, braking system, doors, and transformers are made domestically; the remaining components will all be imported for the next train’s construction. Regenerative braking is used by Train 18.

The Rajdhani Express was supposed to be replaced by Train 20, another semi-high-speed train that was being developed by Indian Railways and ICF. An aluminium body with sleeping coaches was intended for this new train. Additionally, Indian Railways had intended to order 40 Train 18 train sets by 2022, each of which would have a modified cabin crash guard made of aluminium and a lithium-ion battery set.

Second Version

ICF will construct an improved model of these trains as part of the government’s plan to construct 75 new trains by the end of August 2023. Four of these had already been constructed as of October 2022, and about half of the remaining ones were being produced by ICF. “Now that ICF has already developed four [Vande Bharat] trains and have got a hang of the process, they can easily roll out three-four trains per month and around 40 by 15 August next year, which according to me is a good number,” said Sudhanshu Mani, the former ICF GM under whose leadership Vande Bharat Express (then known as Train 18) was conceptualised and implemented.

The second iteration of this train will feature upgraded amenities, seating, security and surveillance systems, and emergency features in addition to the previous facilities. The new rakes will have four emergency windows, disaster lights in all coaches in the event that the lighting system fails, fire survival cables inside of door circuits, the ability to have ventilation for three hours in the event that an air conditioner loses power, and more emergency push buttons—four per coach.

A centralised Coach Monitoring System for all forms of electricity, climate control, and other crucial train systems is also planned for the new coaches. The new rakes will have a push-back arrangement for smooth reclining to address the seat reclining issues of the previous version. In order to ensure dependability during the monsoons, the official added that the new coaches will be equipped with an air conditioning system free of bacteria and higher flood protection for underframe equipment.

Trial Runs

The train’s first test run, which focused on crew orientation and testing the train’s brakes, took place on October 29, 2018, in Chennai. Additional testing is scheduled for November 7 in Delhi and later in Rajasthan. During the trial in Chennai, “some fuses went off,” according to an Indian Railways official, but the problem was only minor and was quickly fixed. The train ultimately left for Delhi later than anticipated on November 11 and arrived on November 13 instead. On November 17, testing was scheduled to begin along a section of rail between Bareilly and Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. However, due to unidentified problems with the original section of rail, the testing was later moved to the section of rail between Moradabad and Rampur.

Testing on the Moradabad-Rampur route took place at slow speeds of 30 to 60 km/h (19–37 mph). The train was moved to a section of track between Kota and Sawai Madhopur to be tested at operating speed following the lower-speed testing. The final speed test will be approved by a team assembled by India’s Research Design and Standards Organization, which will also oversee the testing.

The highest speed reached by an Indian train during testing was 180 km/h (110 mph), but due to speed restrictions on the railway tracks used by the Vande Bharat Express, the actual top operating speed is limited to 130 km/h. The train can reach a top speed of 200 km/h (120 mph).

During a test run from Delhi to Agra on December 20, 2018, a stone was thrown at one of the train’s windows, shattering the glass. Sudhanshu Mani, general manager of the ICF, tweeted that a Vandal had thrown a stone at the building that broke the glass and hoped to catch him soon.

Inauguration

The train’s commercial run began on February 17, 2019, after Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi flagged it off for an inaugural run on February 15. It will connect the holy city of Varanasi to the Capital city via the Delhi-Varanasi route, passing through Kanpur and Prayagraj, cutting the travel time along the route by 15%. Regenerative brakes on the train should also enable a 30% electricity cost reduction over its predecessor. It will outperform the Shatabdi Express by 30 kilometres per hour at an operating speed of 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph) (19 mph).

Despite having been tested for speeds of up to 180 km/h, the trainset’s operational speed has been limited to 130 km/h because, according to an internal report by Indian Railways, only 0.3% of the nation’s track can support speeds that high. On the train, every other car has a motor. The Chair Car CC Class fare for the 8-hour trip costs $1,440.00 and travels a total of about 762 kilometres from New Delhi to Varanasi station.

Services

Chennai – Mysuru Vande Bharat Express

2nd generation

20607/20608

Except Wednesday

504 km (313 mi)

130 km/h (81 mph)

77 km/h (48 mph)

11 November 2022

Katpadi Junction, KSR Bengaluru City

Export

Following the train’s debut, the Indian Railways reportedly received inquiries from South-East Asian nations. According to an Indian Railways Board member, the train can be altered to meet customer needs. Additionally, he stated that “on average, a coach like the one in Train 18 costs between Rs 24 and Rs 25 crore around the world. He said, “In India, we are making it at about Rs 6 crore, but he didn’t give any specifics or examples.

Accidents

On its second day of operation, the recently launched Vande Bharat Express struck a stray bull close to Etawah in Uttar Pradesh in February 2019. Damage was done to the train’s steel and fiber-covered steel aerodynamic nose. On August 17, 2019, a similar cattle run-over incident was reported.

Another incident involved a Vande Bharat Superfast Express that collided with a herd of buffaloes in Gujarat on October 6, 2022, two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi signalled the start of the semi-high speed train. The incident happened between Vatva and Maninagar station, before Ahmedabad, at around 11:00 am as the train was travelling from Mumbai to Gandhinagar.

Journey

From Chennai Central to Bengaluru City to Mysuru Junction, the train will pass through Perambur, Veppampattu, Katpadi Junction, Gudupalli, and Malur. Only Bengaluru City Junction will be the Vande Bharat Express’s final stop during the 6 hours and 40 minutes of travel.

Schedule and Timings

Except for Wednesday, the train will run six days a week. It will set out from Chennai Central at 5.50 in the morning and arrive at Bengaluru City Junction at 10.25 in the morning, travelling a distance of 359 kilometres. It will stop for five minutes before continuing on to its final location, covering a distance of 137.6 kilometres, and arriving at Mysuru Junction at 12.30 p.m.

The train will leave Mysuru Junction on the return trip at 1:05 and arrive at Bengaluru City Junction at 2:55. The train will leave Bengaluru City Junction after a five-minute stop and arrive at Chennai Central at 7:35 p.m.

Tickets

According to news sources, fares for economy class or an air-conditioned chair will start at Rs921, while those for executive class will be Rs1,880. The cost of a ticket from Mysuru to Bengaluru is Rs368 for economy class and Rs768 for executive. The IRCTC website will soon allow for reservations.

Conclusion

The fifth Vande Bharat train in India and the first in the South left Bengaluru on Friday under the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The train will reduce the distance between Mysuru and Chennai by running between those two cities. The PMO stated that it would improve connectivity between Chennai’s industrial hub, Bengaluru’s tech and startup hub, and Mysuru, a well-known tourist destination. The train was officially launched at KSR Bengaluru station and will eventually arrive in Chennai.

In accordance with the Railways’ “Bharat Gaurav” train policy, Modi also launched the Bharat Gaurav Kashi Darshan train. The South Western Railway claims that it will “fulfil the dream of many travellers intending to undertake Kashi Yatra.”