According to General Manager, RCF will launch the first prototype of the Vande Metro Coach by April

According to S Srinivas, general manager of the Rail Coach Factory (RCF) in Kapurthala, Punjab, the first prototype of the Vande Metro coach for interstate travel is scheduled to be released by April of this year.

According to him, 16 of these coaches should be prepared by the end of the 2024–2025 fiscal year.

Based on the idea of the first domestic semi-high-speed rail in India, the Vande Metro would transport people between cities up to a distance of 250 km.

A Vande Metro train can travel at a maximum speed of 130 km/h and will consist of 16 air-conditioned cars.

Srinivas told PTI, “We are aiming that the first prototype is ready by April.” “This train is meant for intercity traffic.” After testing, the RCF will go into production.

According to him, the Vande Metro trains would improve accessibility and the traveler experience. Each coach will be able to accommodate 280 people, with 100 sitting and 180 standing.

A pleasant medium-distance trip is provided by the 3×3 bench-type seating layout, which maximizes passenger capacity, he added.

In the event of an emergency, passengers will be able to contact the train driver using a talkback device installed in Vande Metro carriages.

Every bus will have fourteen smoke and fire detection sensors installed.

He said that there would be wheelchair-accessible restrooms in the coaches.

He said that the Kavach system, a crucial precaution against crashes, would be installed on the train.

According to Srinivas, the gangway, which connects two coaches, would be roomy like hallways to allow for easy walking around the train.

bigger, hopper-style windows that may be opened in an emergency and roomy entrances with bigger doors are features of windows and doors that are intended to be both safe and convenient.

He said that touch-free doors in the compartment area and automated plug doors at the entry will be installed for the convenience of the passengers.

In December of last year, the RCF deployed 24 specially designed Rajdhani sleeper carriages to conduct a long-distance train on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla segment, according to Srinivas.

According to him, RCF engineers included a unique function in these coaches to provide hot water in the restrooms throughout the winter.

According to him, two more rakes will be available in the next fiscal year, and the next rake of 24 coaches will launch in March of this year.

The general manager of Vistadome coaches claimed that testing had been successfully completed and that these coaches will soon be operating on this small gauge stretch after approval from the commissioner of railway safety for the historic Kalka-Shimla line.

Following safety certification, the RCF plans to produce thirty additional Vistadome coaches in the next fiscal year.

Srinivas emphasized the accomplishments of RCF by stating that a double-decker freight liner coach, capable of accommodating 46 people and a six-ton load, is now undergoing testing on the Ambala-Sahnewal stretch.

Indian Railways’ coach manufacturing division is called RCF. Since its founding in 1988, more than 43,000 coaches have been produced. PTI COR CHS VSD SMN