Vande Bharat sleeper train: Highlighting its broad technological advancements and safety features, Ashwini Vaishnaw said that these trains are fitted with KAVACH, higher acceleration with a design speed of 180 kmph.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said that Vande Bharat sleeper train has been designed to cater to long and medium distance overnight travel, and two such train-sets are currently under trial. He said said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha as more than half a dozen MPs raised questions regarding the timeline for its rollout, asking, “whether the government has conducted any feasibility studies or pilot projects” along with the “details of the proposed route” of its launch. However, he did not specify as to when the Vande Bharat sleeper trains be launched in India.
Two train rakes manufactured and under trial
“To cater to long and medium distance overnight travel, the sleeper variant of the Vande Bharat train has been indigenously designed. Two such rakes have been manufactured and are under trial/commissioning,” Vaishnaw said.
Vaishnaw highlights Vande Bharat train’s safety features
Highlighting its broad technological advancements and safety features, he said that these trains are fitted with KAVACH, higher acceleration with a design speed of 180 kmph and an operating speed of 160 kmph, crashworthy and jerk-free semi-permanent couplers and anti climbers, along with high fire safety standards.
Vaishnaw further stated that the train has fire barrier doors at the end of each coach, an improved fire safety aerosol-based fire detection and suppression system in electrical cabinets as well as lavatories, a regenerative braking system for energy efficiency, air conditioning units with an indigenously developed UV-C lamp-based disinfection system and centrally controlled automatic plug doors and fully sealed wider gangways.
The Railway Minister said there are CCTVs in all coaches, emergency talk-back units for communication between the passenger and train manager/loco pilot in case of emergency, special lavatories in the driving coaches on each end for Divyangjan passengers, and a centralised coach monitoring system for better condition monitoring of passenger amenities such as air conditioning, saloon lighting, etc.
What Vaishnaw said on trains suspended during COVID?
To a question regarding the resumption of train operations suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly those passing through Dumka in Jharkhand and Jammu in J-K, Vaishnaw said that with a view to containing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian Railways had discontinued the operation of all regular passenger carrying trains with effect from March 23 2020, and only special train services were being operated.
“Indian Railways also undertook rationalisation of time-table, including rationalisation of train services to provide for better passenger safety by creating maintenance corridor blocks and to improve punctuality,” the railway minister said.
With inputs from PTI
