Vande Bharat, the medium high-speed train, has taken Indian Railways by storm, earning the title of ‘an Indian beauty on tracks.’ Since the early 2000s, passenger coach design had remained stagnant, but in February 2019, Vande Bharat revolutionised the industry with its cutting-edge technology.
With its sleek white exterior and absence of locomotives upfront, Vande Bharat represented a leap into the next generation of trains. Its remarkable acceleration of just 52 seconds from zero to 100 kmph, improved passenger experience, and strong Make in India initiative with active industry participation captured the imagination of travellers.
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Passengers saw it as a symbol of progress, signifying the changing face of Indian Railways under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw. The popularity of Vande Bharat soared, prompting the replacement of the steam locomotive model at Rail Bhavan with the Vande Bharat Icon.
Passengers now consider it their top choice when making reservations, as it offers a similar experience to trains abroad, right here in India. Consequently, new routes have been added to accommodate the increasing demand.
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Manufacturing Vande Bharat posed a challenge for railway officials. Although the designs were indigenous, significant improvements were necessary. Indian Railways’ manufacturing units at ICF, RCF, and MCF restructured their processes to achieve faster production, technical advancements, and cost efficiency surpassing international standards. Surpassing expectations, Vande Bharat trains achieved better than six sigma reliability, even leaving railway experts astonished.
What sets Vande Bharat apart is its ability to deliver superior results on existing tracks in terms of speed and comfort. Unlike the so-called Bullet Train, Vande Bharat operates on the same tracks without any exclusive upgrades, yet it offers significantly reduced travel times.
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For instance, the New Delhi-Varanasi route takes regular super-fast trains 10 hours 5 minutes and 11 hours 10 minutes, while Vande Bharat completes the journey in just 8 hours. This time difference of over 755 kilometres is due to the train’s inherent technical superiority, rather than fewer stops or preferential treatment. Notably, Vande Bharat’s 16-coach LHB version provides an exceptionally smooth ride, regardless of speed, unlike the jerky experience often associated with other IR trains.
Looking ahead, Vande Bharat’s future holds exciting prospects. An overnight version is currently under development, in addition to a Mini Vande Bharat with 8 coaches for less populated routes. Furthermore, plans are underway for Vande Metro, a regional rapid transit version. These in-house designs of Vande Bharat are set to revolutionise passenger travel.
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Exporting such trains to other countries is another area of focus. However, since most countries operate on a standard gauge of 1435 mm, while Indian Railways uses 1676 mm gauge, designing a compatible product would require significant investment.
Efforts to fence the tracks are ongoing to prevent stray animals from causing damage to the train’s front end. Future designs will incorporate cattle guards capable of absorbing collisions and avoiding animal dragging.
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Additionally, the use of aluminium alloys in coach shell manufacturing will reduce weight and improve energy efficiency, surpassing even the Shatabdi trains.
Vande Bharat recently celebrated its fourth anniversary in February. With 17 operational rakes and 102 confirmed orders, more are expected to join the fleet. The recent global tender for 120 rakes saw six international giants partnering with Indian companies, and an Indian company, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, in a joint venture with a Russian coach manufacturer, secured the order at a remarkably low price of 110.
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