The first train set of the Delhi-Meerut rapid rail corridor was handed over by its manufacturer Alstom India to National Capital Region Transport Corporation at its plant in Gujarat's Savli on Saturday.
The corridor, connecting Delhi to Meerut in Western Uttar Pradesh via Ghaziabad, is the country's first regional rapid transport system. First trial runs are expected on a stretch in Ghaziabad by the end of this year and the entire corridor is expected to be completed by 2025.
The trains will have two categories of coaches. They will have wi-fi along with charging points for mobiles and laptops. There are several other features such as auto-control ambient lighting, Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning System, fire and smoke detectors, etc.
Here are all the features of these first-of-its-kind of trains in India.
Fastest trains in India with two types of coaches
Officials said these will be the fastest trains in India with a design speed of 180 kmph and operational speed of 160 kmph. These RRTS trains will have an average speed of 100 kmph, as per officials.
It's expected that the Delhi-Meerut commute would be reduced to just under an hour with these trains. Currently, it takes at least an average of two hours to reach Delhi from Meerut via a passenger train.
RRTS trains will run with four and six coaches as per the requirements of the route, with one premium coach in each train with the rest being standard coaches. A coach will also be reserved for women.
The officials cited above said, "The premium or business class coach will be more spacious and comfortable. It will have reclining seats. These premium coaches of RRTS trains will be accessible through a special lounge at the platform level. Ticket prices of the premium class will be higher than that of the standard class. Fare of both the class is yet to be decided."
Comfort, accessibility, and safety features
The coaches will have ergonomically designed 2x2 transverse cushioned seating and onboard WiFi. There will be laptop and mobile charging facility at every seat, CCTV cameras, dynamic route maps, and auto control ambient lighting system. These trains will also have features like Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning System.
For enhanced accessibility, there will be dedicated wheelchair and stretcher space located near the train doorway for easy access. The trains will be equipped with public announcement and display system, dynamic route map display, infotainment display, along with emergency communication facilities.
These trains are designed for modern visual and audio announcements, which orient passengers with information about the next stop, final destination, speed of the train among others.
For safety purposes, there will also be fire and smoke detectors, fire extinguisher, and door indicators in the train.
The RRTS trains will offer panoramic view of the outside with double glazed, tempered large safety glass windows.
These trains will have automatic plug-in type wide doors reducing air friction and noise, the officials said, adding push buttons for the selective opening of doors on a need basis will also be available. This will eliminate the requirement of opening all doors at every station, which will save energy.
An official said, "The modern RRTS trains have ergonomically designed 2x2 transverse cushioned seating, wide standing space, luggage racks, CCTV cameras, laptop/mobile charging facility, dynamic route maps, auto control ambient lighting system. These trains also have optimised aisle width with grab handles and rails for a comfortable journey for standing passengers."
Special features at RRTS stations
Given the high-speed train operations, all RRTS stations will have Platform Screen Doors (PSDs) for the safety of the passengers. The train doors will be integrated with PSDs, as per officials.
According to NCRTC officials, Innovative Train Control Monitoring System (TCMS) technology as well as its predictive and condition-based monitoring features will enhance the fleet's performance by providing extensive train-to-ground diagnostics.
"These RRTS trains would run under Automatic Train Operation (ATO) to provide a smooth ride with precise stopping accuracy and will also save energy," the official said.
(With PTI inputs)
