Technical trials of the country’s first Vande Bharat Freight Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) have begun. The country’s first Vande Bharat cargo train completed successful trials in the Kota division of Rajasthan, achieving a maximum speed of 145 km per hour. This new train is expected to play a key role in ensuring fast, reliable delivery across sectors such as e-commerce, parcel delivery, and cold-chain logistics. This 16-coach prototype, built at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, was tested on the Kota-Nagda-Sawai Madhopur high-speed corridor in Rajasthan.
During the first phase of trials, the train ran at speeds of 120 and 135 kmph. During the return leg, it reached a speed of 145 kmph, the highest recorded on the first day.
WC Railway Kota Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Saurabh Jain said Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) is conducting these trials on the Kota-Nagda-Sawai Madhopur section – one of Indian Railways’ most suitable high-speed test corridors. On the first day of trial on Wednesday, the rake departed from Kota for Mahidpur Road at 6 am.
Meanwhile, Indian Railways is planning to introduce Vande Bharat sleeper trains on 9 routes.
Several trails lined-up
The railway will conduct trials of the train for approximately one month under various conditions on the Nagda-Kota-Sawai Madhopur rail section. This will include testing the train’s speed, braking system, cornering performance, traction, energy efficiency, safety systems, signalling, door locking, and other technical aspects, both empty and fully loaded. At least two trial runs will be conducted daily to fully assess the train’s capabilities.
Special design for high-speed freight transportation
This state-of-the-art Freight EMU is a 16-coach rake, comprising 2 DTC (reefer vans), 2 Non-Driving Trailer coaches and 12 parcel coaches. It features Vande Bharat bogies, an axle load capacity of over 20 tonnes, and a total payload capacity of over 397 tonnes.
Train to be equipped with modern technology
The new cargo Vande Bharat is equipped with several modern features, including refrigerated parcel storage, improved ventilation, modern braking and propulsion systems, automatic door locking, and the KAVACH security system. Once the train reaches speeds above 5 km/h, all doors will automatically lock, and the train will not proceed until all doors are fully closed.
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