Vande Bharat… a revolutionary change in the history of Indian Railways. Now Vande Bharat is ready to serve as a sleeper. This train, manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, is going to hit the tracks soon after completing the tests.
–Galla S Kiran Kumar, Bureau Chief
high-speed trains running at a speed of 250 kmph
ETV-Today Interview Integral Coach Factory GM Subbarao
Today, ETV, Chennai
Vande Bharat… a revolutionary change in the history of Indian Railways. Now Vande Bharat is ready to serve as a sleeper. This train, manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, is going to hit the tracks soon after completing the tests. General Manager of Integral Coach Factory in Chennai Subbarao said in an interview to ‘Eenadu-ETV’ that the train project running at a speed of 250 km per hour is going to be taken up soon.
Why Vande Bharat.. Whose idea was that?
There are many answers to this. Due to the growing economy, the purchasing power of the people has increased. Hence the idea of designing an attractive and fast train was born. In 2016-17, a GM named Sudhanshu Mani made this idea.
Is Vande Bharat made in line with Make India?
Vande Bharat train is a direct example of Make India. All products including design are made in India. Apart from this, Vande Metrorail rake has also been made.
What are the facilities for passengers?
These have more space than conventional bogies. In the old ones, the gangway going from one bogie to another bogie is very narrow. There is no such situation in Vande Bharat. The gangway is large and sealed. The passengers in the bogie will have a talk back system to talk to the loco pilot. We have arranged it to respond immediately to any problems or health problems.
Is there a possibility of increasing the speed of Vande Bharat in the future?
The design speed of Vandebharat train is 180 km per hour. Between Delhi and Jhansi, the speed of the track is 160 km depending on the capacity. Between Chennai-Vijayawada-Visakhala, the track is running at a speed of 130 kmph due to lack of capacity.
Chennai Integral Coach Factory GM Subbarao
When can Vande Bharat sleeper come?
We are making a sleeper version soon. Currently 10 trains are under construction. After reaching Chennai from Bangalore, we will test it and release it. We will test it at RDSO, Lucknow and make it available to passengers. All these are 16 coach trains. The Railway Board has placed an order for 50 Vande Bharat trains with 24 coaches. We will make them available in two years.
Is there an opportunity to export abroad?
We will consider the issue of export in the future. But now there is more demand in India itself. Only then should we think about exporting. Countries like Chile and South Africa have shown interest in this train.
What arrangements are in place to prevent accidents?
Like other trains in Indian Railways, Vande Bharat is very safe. Every Vande Bharat train has Kavach system. The system is also available on tracks capable of traveling at a speed of 130 kmph.
Are you going to take up any new projects in the future?
Soon we will make freight trains. We are going to undertake this project to take goods to companies like Amazon and Flipkart. Also, we will take up the high speed train project to enable trains to travel at a speed of 250 km.
What is the main difference between conventional bogies and Vande Bharat bogies?
Ordinary trains have an engine with bogies attached behind it. But there is no engine in Vande Bharat. We split it into small pieces and arranged it under the coach. Each bogie has 6 wheels. 6 motors attached to them drive the train. A 16-coach Vande Bharat has 32 motors for 8 coaches. They make for a smooth and comfortable ride
