Trial Run Of a Semi-High Speed Train

Aimed at starting high-speed train services utilising existing infrastructure between important destinations, the Railways will conduct trial run of a 160 kmph semi-high-speed train between New Delhi and Agra on Thursday.
Senior railway officials, including Commissioner Railway Safety and Divisional Railway Manager of Delhi and Agra, will be on board the test train, officials said.
Equipped with a locomotive, capable of hitting 200 kmph, the train will comprise 10 coaches formerly used in the Bhopal Shatabdi Express operating on the same route.
The test train, which will leave New Delhi station at 11.15 a.m., is scheduled to complete its journey in 90 minutes. The fastest train moving on the route, the Bhopal Shatabdi Express, currently covers the distance between New Delhi and Agra in about two hours.
While the Bhopal Shatabdi carries 18 coaches, Divisional Railway Manager (Delhi) Anurag Sachan said the number of coaches for the trial run have been reduced on technical grounds. “The number of coaches impact the braking system of the train running at different speeds,” he said.
The team working on the project, officials said, has also introduced certain technical interventions on the tracks.“Certain adjustments like increasing the height of the outer rail have been done at the curves in order to keep the centrifugal force in check. Similarly, special switches have been installed at the points where the train changes tracks,” Mr. Sachan said.
The railways are targeting a commercial launch of the semi-high-speed train service on the route by November.
Officials said one set of trial run on the route, to be held on Thursday, will help assess the technical changes required to launch regular services on the route.While the trial run is being done between New Delhi and Agra, Mr. Sachan said regular service of high-speed trains will be available between Nizamuddin and Agra.

Indian Railways successfully conducted the first trial run of the country’s fastest train on the New Delhi-Agra route on Thursday, with the train covering 200 km in 100 minutes against the stipulated 90 minutes. During the journey the train sped at an average 125-130 kmph, touching top speed of 160 kmph.At present, the Bhopal Shatabdi Express is India’s fastest train with a top speed of 150 kmph.
Equipped with an electric locomotive of 5,400 HP, the semi-high speed train was flagged off from platform number 6 of the New Delhi railway station at 11:15 am. It reached Agra Cantt at 12:55 pm. It halted at Mathura for 10 minutes.
Commissioner (railway safety) P K Vajpayee, Delhi divisional railway manager (DRM) Anurag Sachan, Agra DRM Vijay Sehgal and other senior officials involved with the project were on board. Vajpayee told the media that the trial run was successful and service is likely to begin in November this year.
Sehgal said there are 16 speed restriction areas and curves on the Delhi-Agra route, which were upgraded to improve the speed. The upgrade was for trial and further maintenance and budget will be declared in the upcoming railway budget.
It would cost an estimated Rs 15 crore to make the track ready for the train. The Indian Railways placed temporary barricades in parts of the stretch to prevent obstruction and ensure speed. Later, permanent fencing will be done along the entire 200 km route.
The New Delhi-Agra train will reduce travel time between the two cities from 120 minutes to 90 minutes — a huge relief for tourists from Delhi looking to visit the Taj Mahal.
The project was announced by the railway board chairman Arunendra Kumar in March. The detailed project report for the semi-high speed train was prepared by the High-Speed Rail Corporation. Authorities also plan to launch similar trains from Delhi to Kanpur, and Delhi to Chandigarh as Shatabdi trains.