First trial run of Spanish high-speed coaches successful

The first phase of trials for the Spanish-made high-speed Talgo coaches was successfully conducted on the Bareilly-Moradabad route here on Sunday morning. Nine of the lightweight coaches were hauled by a 4,500 HP diesel engine from Bareilly to Moradabad at a speed of 115 kilometres per hour (kmph). According to officials, the train which left Bareilly Junction at 9.05am reached Moradabad by 10.15am and later returned to its point of origin.

"The trial was successfully conducted and no problems of a technical nature or otherwise were reported during it," said Rajendra Singh, public relations officer, NE Railway, Izzatnagar division. The team of Research Designs and Standard Organisation (RDSO) and the Spanish team of Talgo travelled in the train to make observations during the trial.

Officials said that trial on this route will continue for a few more days. "We will check riding, safety and stability of the high-speed train for a few more days between Bareilly and Moradabad at different speeds and conditions," said Jitendra Kumar, senior divisional mechanical engineer (DME), Moradabad division.

The second phase will be conducted on the Palwal-Mathura stretch, during which the coaches will be pulled at higher speeds of up to 180 kmph. The third and final phase will be between Delhi and Mumbai, when the coaches will be pulled at the high speed of up to 220 kmph.

The nine coaches built by Talgo and shipped from Barcelona in Spain are different from standard Indian coaches. The former have been constructed from aluminium alloy and are lighter in weight compared to Indian coaches, which are built of stainless steel. Each Talgo coach weighs less than 20 tonnes, while an Indian coach weighs 40 tonnes.

The high-speed train is expected to provide speedy and comfortable journey to passengers.

"The interior of the coaches is world class, with luxurious facilities. They are equipped with LED lights which are energy efficient. Even the chairs of passengers can be rotated 180 degrees and passengers can rotate them in any direction as the coaches are spacious. They have screens on which passengers can view entertainment channels," Kumar added. The train also has a cafeteria and comfortable toilet facilities.