Integral Coach Factory to introduce new Train 18 prototype

Integral Coach Factory (ICF) is set to introduce a new prototype of Train 18 - Vande Bharat Express semi-high-speed trains in the current production year with improved features. According to an ICF official, the first prototype rake will be sent out in March 2022 and will be ready for commercial use by June 2022. Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared 75 Vande Bharat trains will connect different parts of the country in 75 weeks to commemorate the ongoing Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav in a speech from the Red Fort on Sunday, comparing the Vande Bharat train initiative to the UDAN flight scheme. The Vande Bharat train sets (44 rakes of 16 cars each) were finalised in January by the Indian Railways. They will be manufactured at three production units—ICF (24 rakes); Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala (10) and Modern Coach Factory in RaeBareli (10). Around 75% of the components will be made in the United States. According to media, the Hyderabad-based Medha Servo Drives Ltd was awarded the $2,211 crore contract in January for the design, development, manufacture, supply, integration, testing, and commissioning of three-phase propulsion for train sets. On the New Delhi-Varanasi and New Delhi-Katra sectors, the ICF began rolling out these trains in October 2018, and they were later designated as Vande Bharat. The IR tasked the ICF with building 720 coaches for the 45 Vande Bharat Express trains in December 2019, but due to Covid-19 lockdown, this was reduced to 240 coaches a year later. There were also claims that a particular company was given preferential treatment and that safety features were harmed. Train18's specifications were returned to the drawing board. Four emergency windows, disaster lights in all coaches, an emergency push button, centralised coach monitoring, and increased flood protection of underframe equipment will be among the new Train 18's better features, according to an ICF official. Image Source Also read: Indian Railways aims to modernise manufacturing Also read: Railways to roll out 10 Vande Bharat trains connecting 40 cities