First Train 18 to run on Delhi-Bhopal-Habibganj route in January
15 Oct 2018
Indian Railways’ first engine-less train – Train 18 – is all set to replace the current fastest-running passenger train, the Shatabdi Express, on the Delhi-Bhopal route, by January.
The first semi-high speed train developed indigenously will also connect Delhi and Bhopal with the country’s first world-class railway station at Habibganj, which is now being remodelled.
Habibganj will also usher in the public private partnership (PPP) model for development of railway stations. The Habibganj station is being redeveloped by Bansal Group in agreement with Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (ISRDC).
The entire project will cost Rs450 crore, of which Rs100 crore will be spent on station redevelopment and Rs350 crore on the commercial development.
Train 18, a 100 per cent 'Make in India' project, being manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, will replace all Shatabdi express trains for inter-city travel.
Codenamed Train 18 (denoting the year of manufacture), this engine-less, self-propelled train would run at a speed of 160 kmph and will eventually replace Shatabdi Express trains across the railway network.
Train 18 will have a stainless steel car body with LHB design. The fully air-conditioned train will have 16 chair-car type coaches out of which two will be executive chair cars and 14 non-executive chair cars.
The executive chair can seat 56 passengers, while the non executive chairs will be able to accommodate 78 passengers.
The train with a swanky interior and world-class facility boasts of a host of passenger friendly amenities, 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, halogen free rubber-on-rubber flooring, rotational seats which can be aligned in the direction of travel (available only in the executive class), roller blinds and diffused LED lighting, and disabled-friendly toilets.
Meanwhile, railway minister Piyush Goyal recently visited the Habibganj railway station and reviewed the redevelopment work, expressing satisfaction with the progress.
Habibganj will be Indian Railways first station to be developed on the PPP (public-private partnership) model. The station is being redeveloped by Bansal Group in agreement with Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (ISRDC).
The entire project will cost Rs450 crore, of which Rs100 crore will be spent on station redevelopment and Rs350 crore on the commercial development.
The revamped Habibganj railway station will have airport-like concourse area with retail outlets and food plazas. The new revamped Habibganj railway station will have a glass dome structure with plush waiting lounges and clean toilets.
The “Green building” will have LED lighting and waste water will be treated for reuse. The Habibganj railway station will ultimately be developed into a multi-modal hub with connectivity to the city’s metro.