Third Vande Bharat Train To Arrive In Mumbai, Undergo Route Trails Starting 7 September

On 7 September, the Indian Railways will conduct the third Vande Bharat train's final test on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai line. The trial would last two days.

According to officials, the third Vande Bharat Express would go through additional route trials.

The train will run at the same load as its maximum passenger capacity. The crucial timetable trial will be carried out with a few railway officials boarding the train as passengers, and the train's vacant rakes will be filled with sandbags to compensate for the full passenger load.

"Western Railway will receive the train, and it will undergo trial starting 7 September", Western Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Sumit Thakur said, reported Mid-day.

The train will travel at the same speed as during normal operating conditions before receiving safety clearance from the Chief Commissioner for Railway Safety (CCRS).

The Railway Ministry is anticipated to grant the all-clear for the launch of the semi-high-speed train on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route once the CCRS does.

After the Vande Bharat Express' successful final route trial, the timetable will be prepared. There won't be many stops between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, according to railway sources. 

This is being done to ensure that the passengers benefit fully from the speed of the Vande Bharat Express.

The train has undergone oscillation and brake tests on several routes for almost a month. At 115 kmph, the low-speed trial was conducted first.

From 25 August to 28 August, a high-speed trial up to 180 kph was run on the Kota-Sawai Madhopur segment. Oscillation tests were carried out in both loaded and empty conditions at speeds of 120, 135, 150, 160, 170, 175 and 180 kmph.

Safety enhancements in the upgraded Vande Bharat train with the Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) or Kavach prevent signal passing at danger (SPAD) cases and unsafe situations arising due to overspeeding and train collisions in station areas.

According to railway authorities, the RDSO (Research Design and Standards Organisation) will perform several testing on the train, and then only CCRS will provide safety clearance.

This Vande Bharat is, however, a bit different from those two already in operation with enhanced safety and convenience features for passengers.

According to ICF, while the earlier ones picked up 160 kmph in 180 seconds, the newer ones can accelerate to 160 kmph in 140 seconds.

The newer Vande Bharat also has a better riding index, which means the riding comfort has been improved because of the latest and better bogie design.

The train set has been designed for acceleration reserve, which will help maintain the slope's speed. While the earlier Vande Bharat train set has a one-hour battery backup, this one has three hours of backup.

Two Vande Bharat trains currently travel the routes between Delhi, Varanasi, and Katra.

According to the Railways, 502 Vande Bharat trains would be manufactured at various facilities, including Rae Bareli, Sonipat and Kapurthala, besides ICF Chennai.

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