Vande Metro for Intercity Travel: Here's What Its Coaches Will Be Like and When It Is Expected To Roll Out

Vande metro coach's first prototype is set to be rolled out by the Rail Coach Factory (RCF) in Punjab's Kapurthala by April this year and a total of 16 coaches are expected to be made by the end of the Financial Year 2024-25.

Vande Metro is designed for intercity travel for a distance of up to 250 kilometres (km) and is based on the concept of the Vande Bharat train which is India's first indigenous semi-high-speed train.

The maximum speed that the Vande Metro could attain is 130 km per hour (kmph). It will have 16 air-conditioned coaches and each will have a capacity of 280 passengers -- 100 seating and 180 standing capacity.

The seating arrangement is designed as a 3X3 bench system to maximise passenger capacity and offer optimum comfort for medium-distance travel. Coaches will have a wheelchair-accessible lavatory.

For the safety of passengers, there is a talkback system so that the driver can communicate in case of an emergency. To prevent collisions, the train will also be equipped with the Kavach system.

For the comfort of passengers, the gangway, which connects two coaches will be wide-like corridors for easy movement within the train. The entry doors are also spacious and wide with openable windows for an emergency.

There will be 14 sensors for fire and smoke detection in each coach. The entrance doors will be automatic-plug ones and the compartment doors will be touch-free. After trials, the production will start, ET reported.

The project was initially unveiled by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw during the post-Budget 2023 railway briefing. The Vande Metro is expected to serve as a replacement for the Mainline EMU.