Under 140 Characters
India’s fastest train – 18 is all set to hit tracks early this year which has been designed to run between Delhi and Varanasi.
The first test trial of the train has already been conducted on the train, train – 18 is an engine-less, self-propelled ‘Made in India’ train that reached 180 kmph mark during the trial run.What Is It?
What’s In It?
The train is said to run faster that Shatabdi Express that runs between Delhi and Bhopal. Train – 18 will fall under the category of semi-high speed trains and is being pronounced as Train 18 based on the concept of its year of inception. This is the first time a concept of having no engine trains is being used to operate trains as part of inter-city trains by the Indian Railways.
The fare is likely to be higher as the input cost is high. However, it will drastically reduce the travel time. Currently, Shatabdi Express takes about 8 hours from Delhi-Bhopal and train 18 will cut that travel time by 3 hours, making it a total distance of only 5 hours.
The train will have 16 coaches and two executive compartments with 52 seats each and trailer coaches with 78 seats each. It will come with various facilities like an automated door closing, wi-fi, information screens and will be wheelchair friendly.