Ahmedabad-Mumbai Vande Bharat: India's first Vande Bharat Freight EMU has reached 130 kmph during a Trial Run

India's first Vande Bharat Freight EMU has reached 130 kmph during a trial run on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Central route, conducted by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) on the Ahmedabad-Vadodara-Mumbai Central section of Western Railway.

Ahmedabad-Mumbai Vande Bharat Freight EMU Trial

Developed by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, the 16-coach Vande Bharat Freight EMU has been designed to transport parcels and other goods at high speed. It can carry e-commerce shipments, courier packages, electronics, pharmaceuticals, cold-chain products, and other high-value goods. According to the Railway, the train is intended to provide a modern alternative to conventional freight trains, especially for fast, reliable, and time-bound parcel transportation.

Vande Bharat Freight EMU Rake Preparation

According to the Ahmedabad Railway Division, the Vande Bharat Freight EMU rake was prepared at ICD Sabarmati and left Ahmedabad for Mumbai Central at around 9 am on September 12. The return trial from Mumbai Central to Ahmedabad was conducted on September 13. During the trial, the rake operated with 50 per cent payload and an axle load of 20.32 tonnes. As required under the testing protocol, the trials were conducted during the daytime while following the permanent and temporary speed restrictions applicable on the route.

The RDSO team received technical and operational support from the Mechanical, Electrical, and Signal & Telecommunication departments of the Ahmedabad Division. Western Railway also made arrangements for fitness, crew, safety, and operations. Earlier, the train had reached around 145 kmph in empty condition during trials on the Kota Division of West Central Railway. The rake has a design speed of around 160 kmph.

Features Of Vande Bharat Freight Train

The Vande Bharat Freight EMU comes with several features designed to make parcel transportation faster and safer. These include:

• 16-coach Freight EMU configuration

• Refrigerated reefer vans along with parcel coaches

• Wide automatic doors for faster loading and unloading

• Roller flooring for pallet-based loading

• CCTV surveillance and fire detection systems

• Automatic door-locking system

• Advanced stability and safety arrangements for high-speed operations

• Modern safety systems such as Kavach

The Railway clarified that the rake is not intended to replace heavy freight trains operating on Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs). Instead, it has mainly been designed to carry smaller, high-value and time-sensitive cargo at higher speeds on passenger railway routes.

Vande Bharat Freight Train May Boost Express Logistics

The trial will allow RDSO to collect data on the performance and safety of the Vande Bharat Freight EMU. The results will help assess the possibility of introducing the train for commercial operations in the future.

The Ahmedabad Division of Western Railway said the successful trial opens up a new possibility for freight transportation in Indian Railways. Such a service could offer a faster, safer, more reliable, and time-bound express logistics option compared with road transportation.