# Indian Railways Premium LD using distributed power fixed consist



## jis (Apr 26, 2019)

Looks like Indian Railways has decided to start using distributed power, AC electric drive, fixed consist for all Rajdhani Expresses, and other significant premium service on the so called Golden Quadrilateral routes, connecting the four major cities of India - New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.

https://www.financialexpress.com/in...arat-express-engineless-train-18-icf/1559768/

This is in addition to converting all short/medium distance daytime premium Shatabdi Expresses to distributed power fixed consist sets too.

The plans are also to increase speeds on the key trunk routes to 160kph (100mph) and target a running time of 12 hours for 1300km to 1600km ( ~800 - 1000 mile - think New York - Chicago) journeys, thus making it possible for these overrnight sleeper service trains to operate on a 7pm departure - 7am arrival type schedule, making them much more attractive for business travel. Incidentally the diagonals of the quadrilateral (Delhi - Chennai or Kolkata - Mumbai) won't meet the 12 hour goal, but they can be brought down to 18 hours or so making them similar to the current Rajdhani schedule between Delhi and Kolkata for example.

The equipment will be manufactured at ICF Perambur (near Chennai), and for the year 2019-20, 8 sets are targeted, of which four will be the Sleeper type, sufficient for covnerting two Rajdhani services to the new equipment - most like one Delhi - Mumbai and one Delhi - Kolkata ones.


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## railiner (Apr 26, 2019)

Looking forward to my first look at Indian Railways in a little more than a week from today...


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## jis (Apr 26, 2019)

railiner said:


> Looking forward to my first look at Indian Railways in a little more than a week from today...



Mumbai Suburban? Or are you planning a longer main line/ld trip?


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## railiner (Apr 28, 2019)

Probably just a brief ride on the suburban train. I am intrigued by the width of six seats across, although I did experience that on my brief but thrilling ride on the Shanghai Maglev, on the 10th...


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## jis (Apr 28, 2019)

It is only notionally six seats across. In a packed train it is more like eight seats across.


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## railiner (May 7, 2019)

Got my first look at Indian Railways today at Mangalore Central. I was on a tour in Cochin yesterday, so missed that...


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## railiner (May 7, 2019)

More




There is another, newer station at Mangalore Junction, where thru trains not terminating at Mangalore stop. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to make my way over there...


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## jis (May 7, 2019)

Nice photos! Thought I'd bring a few interesting things, at least for rail buffs, to everyone's attention.

The White engine is a WAP-7 class passenger engine 25kV 50Hz with IGBT AC drive, manufactured by DLW (Diesel Locomotive Works) Varanasi. Its home shed is Royapuram. On IR each shed takes great pride in their engines, and usually the shed name is clearly stated somewhere on the engine.

Both the diesels photographed are ALCO derviatives manufactured at DLW, Varanasi. The first, Orange and Cream one appears to be from Ernakulam Shed and one of the Loco Pilots (that is what Engineers are called in India) is a woman.

In the coupling sequence you can clearly see that the train rake (consist) is hook and chain coupler and air brake equipped. IR has various combinations - hook and chain/vacuum brake, hook and chain/ air brake and tightlock center coupler/air brake. The blue rake is of older vintage, derived from a '60s Schlieren (Switzerland) design, manufactured by ICF (Integral Coach Factory) Perambur, near Chennai (Madras).

The Blue diesel in the coupling sequence, is equipped with a transition coupler which can couple onto either of a hook and chain coupler or a tightlock center coupler.

The AC 3-Tier and AC 2-Tier cars are of more modern stock, most likely manufactured by RCF (Rail Coach Factory) Kapurthala (in Punjab), design derived from Link Hoffmann Bausch (LHB) German design, riding on Fiat trucks.

Notice that the LHB cars have yaw dampers whereas the Schlieren cars don't. Actually in addition to these original configurations, there now are LHB frames that ride on the old Schlieren trucks without yaw dampers, that are cheaper and are speed limited to 120kph (75mph). The standard LHB truck is a Fiat truck with yaw dampers, which are more expensive and are cleared for operation upto 160kph (100mph) at present, and capable of being upgraded relatively inexpensively to 200-220kph (125-135mph), when the need arises.

The diesel in the last frame is an EMD WDP-4D dual cab unit which is the new diesel passenger workhorse of IR. It is a Co-Co capable of 160kph (100mph) but normally operates at upto 130kph (80mph).


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## railiner (May 7, 2019)

Thanks for all that info, jis...wish you were here as a 'tour-guide'...


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## railiner (May 7, 2019)

Tomorrow, is Goa. I cancelled my tour there, as I find they take me to places I have little interest in. Instead, I'll just ride the ship's shuttle bus into town, and check out the railway station.


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## caravanman (May 7, 2019)

There are some interesting murals painted inside that station, or at least there were a few years back


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## jis (May 7, 2019)

railiner said:


> Tomorrow, is Goa. I cancelled my tour there, as I find they take me to places I have little interest in. Instead, I'll just ride the ship's shuttle bus into town, and check out the railway station.


Closest to Margaon Port is Vasco da Gama Terminal, which gets many of the train that terminate in Goa. The next station on that line is Dabolim adjacent to the international airport.

The through trains all pass through Madgaon Jn. which is at a considerable distance (15 miles) from the port.

Of course I have no idea which part of which town the shuttle bus goes to. Maybe it goes to the vicinity of Madgaon Jn.

Back to the topic of this thread, they just announced that the second articulated rake of T-18 will be deployed as Vande Bharat Express between Patna and Howrah (Kolkata), in the near future. The first one was deployed as Vande Bharat Express, a new class of service between New Delhi and Lucknow in UP.

Here is the definitive reference, but one has to be able to read Hindi...

https://www.jagran.com/bihar/patna-city-vande-bhart-express-run-will-be-patna-to-howra-19188965.html


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## railiner (May 8, 2019)

Goa. 
Vasco de Gama Station

...


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## Asher (May 8, 2019)

Interesting stuff, what class does the last photo represent. Looks like it's built for the long haul.


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## jis (May 8, 2019)

anumberone said:


> Interesting stuff, what class does the last photo represent. Looks like it's built for the long haul.


General Second Class, usually unreserved, ostensibly for daytime use, but is used 24 hours and is sitting accommodation only, though if not crowded one can lie down. Some use the luggage racks as beds too.

Incidentally this entire area in Goa (an old Portuguese Colony unlike the rest of India) was Meter Gauge until about 20 years back. Everything got converted to Broad Gauge around the time the Konkan Railway along the Konkan (West) Coast was built between Panvel (near Mumbai) connecting through Goa to the existing Broad Gauge between Kochi (Cochin) and Thiruvantipuram (Trivandrum) via Shoranur (where the main line from Chennai (Madras) comes in from the east, and then on to Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin) at the southern tip of India along a completely new construction.


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## railiner (May 9, 2019)

Last of my four port calls in India today...
Managed to visit both the old Victoria station and the Mumbai Central station. Finally got a ride on one of those wide Western Suburban trains.
India’s passenger railway network is simply incredible![emoji41][emoji846]


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## railiner (May 9, 2019)

railiner said:


> Last of my four port calls in India today...
> Managed to visit both the old Victoria station and the Mumbai Central station. Finally got a ride on one of those wide Western Suburban trains.
> India’s passenger railway network is simply incredible![emoji41][emoji846]View attachment 13434
> View attachment 13435
> ...


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## railiner (May 9, 2019)

Sorry for duplicate post... not used to using app...


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## railiner (May 9, 2019)

More


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## railiner (May 9, 2019)

More


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## railiner (May 9, 2019)

And last...


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## jis (May 9, 2019)

The WCAM/2 and WCAM/3 Class electric that you photographed were built originally as dual voltage 1500 DC and 25kV 50Hz AC locomotive when both the Central and Western Railway suburban lines had their original 1500V DC electrification. The suburban electrification extended to Virar on Western Railway and Igatpuri on Central Railway. Beyond those points it was 25kV AC. Additionally there was DC electrification upto Pune. After the DC electrification was all converted to AC within the last 10-15 years, the DC gear was stripped from them and they continue to operate now as pure AC engines. WCAM signifies W - Broad Gauge (Y - Meter Gauge, Z - Narrow Gauge), C - DC, A - AC (D - Diesel, B - Battery), M - Mixed (as opposed to P for Passenger and G for Goods/Freight)

Interesting to see that the old 1st generation non-AC multi-level cars are now used in regional Valsad Passenger duty. The current policy is no new multi-levels that are not air-conditioned.

So I see you did get a ride on a wide loading gauge suburban EMU. Did you go towards Churchgate (South) or towards Dadar (North)?

There also are standard loading gauge EMUs that are called MEMU (Mainline EMUs) that are used extensively for regional service outside of the suburban regions.

I see that you came across the rake of Delhi Rajdhani at MMCT.


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## railiner (May 9, 2019)

Had a great, but brief experience (to Churchgate). I also noticed some newer, air-conditioned EMU's. Wish I had time to take a thru train up to Delhi, but only had a day here...thanks again for the explanation's, and your recommendation to travel mid-day.


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## jis (May 10, 2019)

Speaking of EMU's, here are a few around Kolkata - so called galloping ones, i.e. ones that don't stop at every station. One is on Eastern Railway and the other on South Eastern Railway.


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## railiner (May 10, 2019)

I was just reviewing my photo's, and did anyone notice in one photo I shot into baggage car door, that motorcycle under a wrap?
I wonder how Amtrak would react if someone tried to check a motorcycle?


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## jis (May 10, 2019)

That is most likely a shipment and not checked baggage though.


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