Western Railway conducts Vande Bharat sleeper coach trails on Mumbai-Ahmedabad route

The new Vande Bharat sleeper train was spotted between Kandivali and Borivali stations duringthe trial run on Wednesday, January 15. (Pic/Nimesh Dave)

A new prototype of a Vande Bharat sleeper coach train underwent a trial with a top speed of 130 kmph between Ahmedabad and Mumbai Central on Wednesday, Western Railway officials said, PTI reported.

As part of the ongoing trials, the 16-coach train set with swanky interiors reached Mumbai Central at around 1:50 pm and departed for Ahmedabad at 2:45 pm, a senior WR official.

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The train was scheduled to reach Mumbai Central at 12.40 pm, but it reached around one hour and 10 minutes late due to some "unavoidable" reasons, officials said.

"We conducted a Confirmatory Oscillograph Car Run (COCR) trial of the Vande Bharat Sleeper train at a speed of 130 kmph between Ahmedabad and Mumbai Central," a senior Western Railway official said.

The Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) will issue a final certificate after the analysis of the train. RDSO is responsible for the design and standardisation of railway equipment in the country.

WR said that the semi-high-speed train has 11 AC-3 tier coaches, 4 AC-2 tier coaches, and one first-class AC coach. These are equipped with features like charging ports for mobile devices, a foldable snack table, an integrated lighting system, and a laptop charging setup, PTI stated.

The train has a combined gangway for smooth movement, dog boxes at both ends, adequate linen space, and 38 special seats for attendants, stated PTI. Additionally, all coaches, as per PTI, are HL3 compliant for fire safety and include Braille navigation for visually challenged passengers.

The AC first-class coach has 24 seats, and the second AC coaches have 48 seats each.

Western Railway said, among the 3rd AC coaches, five have 67 seats each, and four have 55 seats each.

Western Railway now has its first 'All-Women Maintenance Team'

In a first, the Western Railway now has its first 'All-Women Maintenance Team' in Mumbai, an official statement said on Saturday.

In a significant move that highlights the changing role of women in traditionally male-dominated industries, the Western Railway has launched an all-women maintenance team in its Mumbai Suburban Traction (TRD) department, it said.

Over the past month, the all-women team has undergone thorough training to handle and maintain high-voltage equipment, including 25kV and 110kV systems at the Mahalaxmi Traction Substation. After completing their training, the team has been fully equipped to work independently while following strict safety protocols, officials said.

The initiative marks a major step forward in promoting gender equality and empowering women in technical roles, the officials said.

(With inputs from PTI)