Vande Bharat freight rake testing: India’s first Vande Bharat freight train has reached 145 kmph during a trial run on the Chaumahla-Shamgarh-Gurla section of West Central Railway (WCR). Developed by Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF), the trial was conducted to check the train’s performance and safety at different speeds.

The train was tested in an empty condition, with teams from the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) and Integral Coach Factory (ICF) present. The trial also included emergency braking tests and checks on the train’s movement at different speeds.

Vande Bharat cargo train trial run

According to Saurabh Jain, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of Kota Division, the oscillation trial of the freight EMU rake was successfully conducted in an empty condition. During the trial, the train’s movement and stability were checked at different speeds, with the maximum speed reaching 145 kmph. The team also tested the emergency braking distance.

The trial was conducted on both the Up and Down lines of the Nagda-Kota-Sawai Madhopur section of WCR zone. The freight EMU uses Vande Bharat-based technology and has bogies with a 20.32-tonne axle load. The trial was aimed at checking the rake’s stability, operational performance and movement at different speeds.

“During the testing, the rake was first run at 120 kmph between Chaumahla and Shamgarh. The speed was then increased to 135 kmph on the same section. In the final phase, the rake successfully reached the maximum test speed of 145 kmph between Chaumahla and Gurla. During the trials, officials checked the rake’s stability and movement at high speeds as per technical standards. Emergency braking distance was also tested with the rake in an empty condition,” he added.

The official further said that electrical system tests are also underway with the rake in an empty condition. These tests will be carried out as per the scheduled testing programme and will assess the performance of the rake’s electrical and propulsion systems.

India’s first Vande Bharat freight train

Based on the Vande Bharat series, the 16-coach Freight EMU has been designed to transport parcels and other goods at high speed. Developed by Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF), the rake is equipped with modern features such as advanced propulsion and braking systems, a special roller floor system to facilitate parcel loading, automatic wide sliding doors, temperature-controlled (reefer) facilities, CCTV surveillance, and fire detection systems.