Indian Railways (IR) is looking at replacing its premium train Shatabdi Express with a new train – the Train 18, named after the current year – that will be a semi-high speed train. Set to make its debut in June this year, Train 18 will be manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Perambur, Chennai, and will feature a top speed of 160 kilometres per hour.

The train will comprise 16 fully air-conditioned chair car coaches with both executive and non-executive configurations.

Toilets in the train will be zero-discharge vacuum toilets, and the entire train will be interconnected with a sealed vestibule gangway. The Railways says it will be manufactured at half the cost of a similar train being imported to India.

The new coaches will be modelled on the Linke Hoffman Busch (LHB) coaches with a stainless steel body and continuous windows. It will feature automatic doors and a sliding step which will come out when the door opens.

Unlike existing trains, it will not be a locomotive-hauled train but a self-propelled trainset with cabins at either end that will allow easy reversal at terminal stations along with faster acceleration and an overall reduced travel time.