India: The inaugural Vande Bharat Metro has been built by Rail Coach Factory (RCF), a coach manufacturing unit of Indian Railways, in Kapurthala. Trial runs are scheduled for July.
The new EMU differs from the already familiar Vande Bharat. It is aimed for service on short inter-city and urban routes of 100–250 km. Each EMU will have a unique configuration, comprising from 12 to 16 cars, and will be capable of operating at speeds of up to 130 km/h.
The interior features a wider aisle, so now a car accommodates 280 passengers and offers 100 seats. The Vande Metro will have automatic doors, air-proof intercar gangways, WCs, AC and early smoke detection with 14 sensors in each car.
The Vande Metro EMU from RCF for Indian Railways. Source: RCF
Earlier, Shri S Srinivas, RCF’s CEO, announced that by March 2025 nine more Vande Metro will be built. According to Indian media, however, 12 of these EMUs will be build during the initial phase, while reporting no details regarding the terms.
