Vande Bharat Express: Second Train With New Modifications To Be Rolled Out In First Week Of May

Indian Railways has no intention to take a break from its ongoing modernisation spree as it gears up to roll out the second Train 18 or Vande Bharat Express (VB Express)- the fastest train in India run on an engine-less platform with heaps of features which were unprecedented and unseen in the history of Indian Railways until the first such train was released for operation between New Delhi and Varanasi, reports Financial Express.

The second rake of the famous VB Express is expected to be rolled out in the first week of May 2019. It's a semi-high-speed self-propelled train which had touched the speeds as high as 180 km per hour during its trials and has an operational speed of up to 160 km per hour.

Built by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) Chennai under Government of India's much touted 'Make in India' programme, the first VB Express was a prototype, the first of its kind of train in India. Based on the feedback received from it, the ICF is making modifications in the second rake.

For instance, the new VB Express will be equipped with special frames in the windows which would make the glass shatter-proof. This gains significance as numerous instances of stone pelting on the New Delhi- Varanasi train have been experienced leading to damaged window panes and glasses.

Similarly, the new VB Express will also have a larger pantry car enabling it to serve longer distances in which the passengers would have to be served two meals which would require extra storage space.

The ICF has been given a mammoth target of manufacturing ten VB Express rakes in the ongoing financial year. However, its expected that only three more such trains will be ready in the present year.

Also Read: A ‘Made In India’ Success: Vande Bharat Express Completes Its First Commercial Run Smoothly