New Talgo train hits 115 kph on trial run, further tests soon

The high-Speed Spanish Talgo Train that began its trial run on Sunday reached a speed of 110-115 km per hour on the Bareilly-Moradabad line in Uttar Pradesh. The Talgo is part of the Railways' strategy to induct faster trains.

The lighter and faster train, with nine coaches and hauled by a 4,500 HP diesel engine, covered the 90-km distance in 70 minutes, officials said. The train left Bareilly at 9.05 am and reached Moradabad at 10.15 am.

"The train ran at 100 to 115 km/hour speed," said Rajiv Mishra, general manager, North Eastern Railways (NER) said.

Talgo's lighter trains consume 30 per cent less energy.

The nine-coach Talgo train consists of two Executive Class cars, four Chair Car coaches, a cafeteria, a power car and a tail-end coach for staff and equipment.

"The trial will continue on the same route till 12 June," Mishra said.

After the trial run on the Bareilly-Moradabad line, it will be tried on the Rajdhani route between Mathura and Palwal for 40 days with speeds up to 180 km per hour.

The trial run will be conducted in a series of phases to test the riding, safety and stability of Talgo trains, a railway official said.

After the successful completion of this phase, timing trial of the much awaited high-speed train will be conducted.

Hamid Akhtar, executive director of Railways' Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) who travelled by the Talgo train, said, "There will be three more such runs" before the success or failure could be assessed.

"It is difficult to say anything about the success or failure of the trial ... we will record the timings and other parameters during the journey (in further runs) ... the data will be analysed and then only we will be able to say anything. Nevertheless it was a smoth ride," he said.

Besides the officials, the coaches were filled with sand bags. There will be trial with empty coaches as well.

Talgo is a Madrid-based Spanish leading manufacturer of semi-high speed (160-250 kmph) and high-speed (350 kmph) passenger trains, which are energy-efficient.

The Talgo train coaches are lightweight and designed in a way that it can run on curves without cutting speed, the official said.

Shipped from Barcelona, the Talgo aluminium coaches anchored at Mumbai port on 21 April.

Talgo envisages the journey between Delhi and Mumbai can be completed in about 12 hours as compared to 17 hours at present.

The Railways has set up a Mobility Directorate to work on strategies to increase speed of trains. Gatimaan Express India's first semi-high speed that clocks 160 kmph, was launched on the Delhi-Agra route last month.