Indian Railways Train 18: Facilities, Features And Other Details (In Pics)
Indian Railways' Train 18, the country's first engine-less train, arrived in Delhi at Safdarjung Railway Station on Thursday, the Northern Railway said on its official Twitter handle- @RailwayNorthern. Built by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, Train 18 promotes 'Make in India', and is capable of running at a speed of 160 km per hour. "Train 18" will replace the existing train fleet of the Shatabdi Express and has a potential to travel up to the speed of 160 kilometres per hour (kmph), reported news agency IANS.
Train 18 is an all air-conditioned chair car train with 16 coaches comprising executive and non-executive classes. It has a modern look with continuous windows on the exterior and its seating capacity is 1,128.
There are two executive compartments in the middle with 52 seats each, whereas trailer coaches have 78 seats each. The seats can rotate 360 degrees and can be aligned in the direction of travel. The coach doors open only when the train is at zero kmph and the train starts only when all the coach doors are properly closed.
On the safety front, a Train Management System in the driver's cab ensures precise brake control and automated control of the doors. The driver can also monitor the movement of passengers on the platform via a closed circuit television (CCTV) in his cabin before closing the door.
Train 18 is self-propelled on electric traction like the metro trains and does not require an engine to run.
There are emergency talk back units (through which passengers can talk to crew in case of emergency) and CCTVs are provided in all coaches for safe and secure travel.
Train 18 also has some features to enhance passenger comfort which include inter-connected fully sealed gangways, automatic doors with retractable footsteps, onboard Wi-Fi and infotainment, GPS-based passenger information system, modular toilets with bio-vacuum systems, roller blinds and diffused LED lighting, and disabled-friendly toilets.
