'Vande Sadharan Express' arrives in Mumbai, prepares for trials at railway yard

Vande Sadharan Express enters Mumbai

The first-ever "Vande Sadharan Express" entered Mumbai on Sunday morning and is being stabled at the Wadibunder railway yard at Mazgaon for trials. The train is also scheduled to conduct runs on the steep mountains of Igatpuri on the Thal Ghat on the Mumbai-Nashik line. The first train that has arrived has markings of Western Railway on it and is expected to be in passenger service on WR routes from Mumbai.

Though the name of "Vande Sadharan Express" is yet to be formalised, the train is a reflection of the Vande Bharat Express, with similar technology of a push-pull version, but with non-AC coaches and offering passengers a blend of speed, comfort, and modern design but to be run at lower fares affordable to the common man.

"The train has been manufactured and rolled out by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai at the cost of Rs 65 crore and consists of 22 coaches, with electric locomotives on both ends. It comprises 12 sleeper class coaches, eight general coaches, and two guard coaches. The two locomotives on either side have been manufactured elsewhere," an official said.

"The push-pull arrangement, with locomotives at both ends, ensures faster acceleration and a more seamless travel experience. The train can accommodate approximately 1,800 passengers and has a maximum attainable speed of 130 kmph," he added.

The train has been manufactured and rolled out by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai

"At Wadi Bunder, officials conducted static trials on the train, which involved testing the coordination between the motor coach and other coaches. They also test the interface between the software and the equipment installed," he added.

Among the tentative route lists, the Vande Sadharan Express has been shortlisted to run on these five routes - New Patna-New Delhi, Howrah - New Delhi, Hyderabad - New Delhi, Mumbai - New Delhi Ernakulam - Guwahati.