The truth about the speed of Vande Bharat Express train.
The truth about the speed of Vande Bharat Express train.
News2News.in Explainer: The country’s hill state Uttarakhand has got its first Vande Bharat Express train on this day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted the country’s fastest train to the people of Uttarakhand through video conferencing. This is the 18th Vande Bharat Express train of India. Now the journey from the capital Delhi to Dehradun, the capital of Devbhoomi, will be covered in a very short time.
In the recent past, it has been seen that the government has introduced the Vande Bharat Express train as the fastest train equipped with modern facilities. Often you would get to see the name of this advance train even in the headlines of the news. Amidst all these things, questions have been arising regarding the speed of Vande Bharat Express train. In such a situation, it is important to know whether the Vande Bharat Express train is really the fastest train in India. Does it run at its maximum speed, what is the average speed… We will tell you the answers to all these questions in today’s News2News.in Explainer.
What is the top speed of Vande Bharat Express
The Research Designs and Standards Organization (RDSO) under the Ministry of Railways has designed the Vande Bharat Express train. Manufacturers claim that this train can run at a speed of 200 kilometers per hour. However, this train has been tested in India at a speed of 180 kilometers per hour. The special thing is that this train is not fitted with a locomotive engine. It is a semi high speed electric multiple unit train (EMU), which simply means that each coach is fitted with electric motors, ie like a metro. For this reason, its acceleration is very high. Currently, the second fastest train in the country is the Shatabdi Express. Now the thing to be understood here is that there is a locomotive engine in Shatabdi, so its coaches do not exert force. On the other hand, every coach of Vande Bharat Express works to speed up the train. Compared to Shatabdi Express, Vande Bharat Express catches the speed at twice the speed.
Manufacturing company’s claims regarding Vande Bharat Express
BG Mallya, general manager of the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), the manufacturing company of Vande Bharat Express, told that the 18-coach train of Vande Bharat Express has 8 motors which generate power up to 840 kW. Their total power is equal to 2 locomotives. In such a situation, you can get an idea of the power and speed of Vande Bharat Express train. BG Mallya explains that this train is special in many ways. It has an automatic braking system ‘Kavach’. It is capable of stopping the train at a distance of 380 metres. The braking system of Vande Bharat Express train is quite impressive. Other trains like Shatabdi Express have to apply brakes one kilometer in advance to stop, while this does not require that much advance. Regarding the speed, many other facilities are also available in the train, which makes it the fastest.
What is the speed of Vande Bharat Express train in India?
It is claimed that the Vande Bharat Express train can run at a speed of 180 to 200 kilometers per hour. However, the actual reality is quite different. At present, Rani Kamlapati Vande Bharat runs at the fastest speed in the country. On the Delhi to Agra route, this train runs at a speed of 160 kmph in some sections. Apart from this, at present, the speed of all Vande Bharat Express trains remains around 110-130 kmph.
Average speed of Vande Bharat Express train in India
Chandrashekhar Gaur, a resident of Madhya Pradesh, had filed a Right to Information (RTI) seeking information from the government regarding Vande Bharat Express train speed. In response to this, according to the information given by the government, in the year 2021-22, the average speed of Vande Bharat Express trains was 84.48 kilometers per hour. However, even after this there was no improvement in the situation. In the year 2022-23, the speed reduced to 81.38 kilometers per hour. Vande Bharat has the lowest speed of 65.96 kmph between Mumbai-Shirdi. At the same time, the country’s first Delhi-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express, which started in the year 2019, has the highest speed. This train runs on the tracks at a speed of 95 kilometers per hour.
Why can’t Vande Bharat run at top speed in India?
Point 1. Despite advanced technology and best facilities, Vande Bharat train is running at average speed in the country. The average speed of these trains is very less. One of the primary reasons for the slow average speed is the poor track condition in the country. These trains have been designed for high-speed travel, but so far India does not have such railway tracks that can run at a speed of 200 kilometers per hour. The rail network is currently being upgraded so that trains like Vande Bharat can achieve higher speeds in future. If Vande Bharat is run at a speed of 180 km per hour on the present track, then there is a danger of derailment. It is important to note that the condition of the track surface plays an important role in determining the speed of the train. No mode of transport can maintain its maximum speed during its entire journey. However, the average speed of each Vande Bharat train in each section is faster than the fastest train in that section. Vande Bharat train also has to follow caution, that’s why there is a difference in speed.
Point 2. Slow turnouts are also the reason behind the low speed of Vande Bharat train. It simply means that when the train catches the new track. Often you must have seen that before stopping at the platform, the speed of the train reduces considerably. This is because at that time the train has to pass through points. The speed of the points made in India is very low (20 kmph), whereas in some of the best railway networks in the world, the train runs at the speed of 70 kmph at the points. This is also one of the main reasons for the low speed of Vande Bharat Express.
Point 3. You must have seen in the news that animals are dying after colliding with Vande Bharat Express. These incidents happen due to lack of fencing around the tracks in India. This is also one of the reasons why the speed of Vande Bharat has been restricted. Increasing the speed of the train will increase such incidents. There is a lot of pressure on the railway network of India. In such a situation, the train does not run according to the loco pilot but according to the signal and armor. The train manager decides the speed of the train.
Also Read: PM Modi flagged off Vande Bharat Express, said – UK is the center of attraction
