india

Updated: Dec 27, 2018 13:59 IST

Train 18, India’s first indigenously built engine-less train, has officially become the country’s fastest hurtling at a speed of 180 kilometres per hour during a trial run.

“Need for Speed: Train 18 seen cruising at a sustained 180Km/h, officially becoming the fastest train in India,” railways minister Piyush Goyal tweeted on Wednesday.

Also read: All you need to know about Train 18

The first trial run of Indian Railways’ Train 18, driven by a self-propulsion module sans a separate locomotive or engine, was conducted on Bareilly-Moradabad section on a standard railway track in November and again between Kota and Sawai Modhopur earlier in December.

“जोर स्पीड का झटका धीरे से लगा: Train 18 exceeds 180kmph during trial. The stability of water bottles at this speed is testament to the quality of workmanship and design of our engineers,” Goyal had tweeted on December 2.

The fully air-conditioned train, built at a cost of Rs 100 crore in 18 months by Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF) is deemed as a successor to the premier Shatabdi Express. Shatabdi was introduced in 1988 and runs on over 20 routes connecting metros with other important cities.

Train 18 is likely to be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 29 from his constituency Varanasi and will run between the temple city in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi and Varanasi, according to PTI. Shatabdi was introduced in 1988 and is presently running on over 20 routes connecting metros with other important cities. The train is expected to cut travel time by 15% as compared to the Shatabdi.

Also read: Goodbye Shatabdi, hello Train 18: Country’s fastest train set for year-end launch

The swanky 16-coach train, according to the tentative plan, will start from New Delhi station at 6am and is expected to reach Varanasi at 2pm. For the return journey, the train will start at 2.30pm from Varanasi and reach the national capital at 10.30pm on the same day.

Train 18 has diffused lighting, automatic doors and footsteps beside GPS-based Passenger Information System. The footstep in a coach’s doorway slides outward when the train stops at a station enabling passengers to alight safely with comfort in view of the variation in height between a train’s floor and the platform.

The gleaming blue-nosed train comes fitted with amenities at par with the best in the world -- from onboard WiFi to a GPS-based passenger 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 weather.

The train will have two executive compartments with 52 seats each and trailer coaches with 78 seats each. The executive class will have rotating seats to match the direction of the train.