New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 29 is likely to flag of India’s fastest train and first engineless train from his constituency Varanasi.
It will replace the Shatabdi trains and will run between Delhi and Varanasi. It is manufactured by the ICF Chennai at a cost of Rs 100 crore.
During the trial-run on a section of the Delhi-Rajdhani route, the Train18, manufactured by ICF Chennai at a cost of Rs 100 crore, became India’s fastest train by running at a speed of over 180 kmph.
From onboard WiFi to a GPS-based passenger information system, the train comes with the best facilities in the world. It includes touch-free bio-vacuum toilets, LED lighting, mobile charging points and a climate control system that adjusts the temperature according to occupancy and weather.
The train will have two executive compartments which will have 52 seats each and trailer coaches will have 78 seats each.
The train will start from New Delhi station at 6 am and is expected to reach Varanasi at 2 pm. For the return journey, the train will start at 2.30 pm from Varanasi and reach the national capital at 10.30 pm on the same day.
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has recently asked ICF to build four more similar rakes in the current financial year after getting impressed with the success of Train 18 during trials.