The speed trial of India’s first imported high speed Talgo train will begin on Sunday, which is being perceived by the Railways another step towards realisation of India’s bullet train dreams. The Railways has successfully conducted sensor trials of the Spanish-made Talgo coaches between Izzatnagar and Bhojipura stations in UP. The Spanish coach manufacturer has agreed to conduct these trials free of cost and it will depend on results whether the Railway Ministry will plan on introducing these trains in the country.
The “super luxury” coaches were pulled by an Indian engine and the coaches would run at a speed of 115 km per hour, at present, which has a maximum capacity to achieve 220 kmph. The speed trial of the coaches will start on Sunday between Bareilly and Moradabad and continue till June 12. In another trial at Mathura-Palwal section, the coaches are expected to achieve a speed of 180 km/hour and 200-220 km/hour on the New Delhi-Mumbai route.
“The coaches, which Talgo had manufactured 30 years ago, have been successfully tried in 12 countries, including Tazakistan. The coaches have a number of sensors and to check whether they were functioning properly, the mechanical engineer of the Railway Board had directed for a censor trial,” an official said here on Saturday. A three-member team of the Railway Board had inspected Talgo coaches on Wednesday while a Spanish team gave a presentation and shared with them detailed information about each and every equipment.
The trains which will be attached with these new coaches will travel at speeds of 160 kmph and 200 kmph on existing tracks. They will be testing on the Mumbai-Delhi corridor, the same route which is used by Rajdhani Express and another non-Rajdhani Express. On the current infrastructure present in India, the Talgo high-speed coaches will have the capacity to travel at speeds of 160-200 kmph. They are compatible to upgrades, which will see even faster speeds.
At such high speeds, the travel distance between Delhi and Mumbai will be reduced from a current 17 hours to 12 hours. Besides bringing down travel time, Talgo coaches, being lightweight, also requires up to 30 per cent less energy which will ensure massive savings on power bills for the railways. These Talgo high-speed trains are currently in operation in many places in both Asia and US.