ICF to roll-out first push-pull train by October-end

Fast-tracking the push-pull train project aimed at providing Vande Bharat-like experience for non-AC travellers, the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) here has readied the first car body as it prepares to roll out the prototype of the 22-coach train with two locomotives by October this year, much ahead of the schedule.

The push-pull train, which is being designed to run at a speed of 130 km per hour, will cater to sleeper and second class sitting passengers who travel long-distance. Shell refers to the metallic body of the train without furnishing and electrical work.

Besides the speed, the new train will provide a better travel experience for passengers of the above category with continuous pathway lighting, plush and better toilets, a sufficient number of charging points, and improved interiors.

The train will have 22 coaches – 12 sleeper class, 8 second sitting, and two for differently abled and luggage – will have two locomotives, one in the front and another in the rear. While the coaches are being built at ICF, the locomotives are being produced by Chittaranjan Locomotive Works in West Bengal.

“We received an order from the Railway Board to produce two push-pull trains which will have no AC coaches. The first prototype will be rolled out from ICF by October-end, and we will deliver the second train by the end of this fiscal. In fact, the first car body of the train is ready today (August 16). Things are on the right track,” B G Mallya, General Manager, ICF, told DH.

While the initial order is for two trains, Mallya expressed the hope that the PSU will roll out more trains in the platform after the initial lot is pressed into service.

The push-pull train, which is likely to get a new name once its enters service in the Indian Railways, will be able to accommodate more passengers in the unreserved category with eight second sitting coaches – an arrangement that is likely to help migrant workers to travel to their home towns at a cheaper rate. In the second sitting coach, seating will be provided to 100 passengers.

Mallya said the gangways in the push-pull train will be almost a replica of what is seen in high-end Tejas Express which will help passengers move from one coach to another without much difficulty. “Passengers can enjoy a jerk-free ride due to the presence of semi-permanent couplers in the train,” Mallya added.

The train is being produced with an aim to provide a similar travel experience of Vande Bharat trains in the non-AC segment. “This train will have improved interiors and best-in-class passenger amenities, as provided in Vande Bharat trains. We want to ensure passengers who travel in non-AC coaches too have best of the comforts,” Mallya said.