India’s next-gen high-speed trains to have aerodynamic design, luxurious features, check routes, stoppages, top speed to be….

New Delhi: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishaw has informed that the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, in collaboration with BEML, is designing and manufacturing high-speed train sets that will have a design speed of 280 kmph. The minister further said that with the success of Vande Bharat trains under the “Make in India” initiative, the Indian Railways (IR) has now taken up designing and manufacturing of high-speed train sets.

“The manufacturing cost is approximately Rs 28 crore per car (excluding taxes), which is highly competitive compared with other train sets,” he said, replying to questions raised by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs Sudhir Gupta and Ananta Nayak. “The design and manufacturing of high-speed train sets is a complex and technology-intensive process,” the minister added.

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, the minister highlighted the major technical aspects, such as the design and manufacturing of the aerodynamic, airtight car body, design and manufacturing of electrics including propulsion for high-speed application, weight optimisation of the train sets and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) of the trains.

Here are some of the key features of the train:

• The train sets will have chair cars with best-in-class features
• The train will be built with aerodynamic exteriors, sealed gangways, automatic doors
• It will have optimum climatic conditions inside compartments for passenger comfort
• The trains will also have CCTV, mobile-charging facilities, optimum lighting, fire safety equipment etc.

The minister further added that the completion of the project can be reasonably ascertained after the finalisation of the detailed design.

Mumbai Ahmedabad High-Speed Train

The minister also provided an update on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, under execution with technical and financial assistance from Japan, and said so far, 336 km of pier foundation, 331 km of pier construction, 260 km of girder casting and 225 km of girder launching have been completed.

“The work of the undersea tunnel (approximately 21 km) has also started,” he added.

The 508-km-long MAHSR project will have 12 stations planned at Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati and the entire land (1,389.5 Ha) required for it has been acquired, the railway minister said.