[🇮🇳] Indian Railways News and Discussion.

[Krishna with Flute]

Date of Event: Nov 30, 2024 Source : https://www.msn.com/en-in/autos/news/indian-railways-first-bullet-train-with-250-kmph-average-speed-kavach-5-0-is-being-made-in-india-check-details/ar-AA1uXDRB?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=8780d01d40ac4413cd07d4ea83873dca&ei=70

Indian Railways’ first bullet train, with 250 kmph average speed & Kavach 5.0, is being made in India - check details​

Story by TOI Business Desk
• 22h • 2 min read

Indian Railways’ first bullet train, with 250 kmph average speed & Kavach 5.0, is being made in India - check details
Indian Railways picks speed on bullet train manufacturing! India is advancing towards domestic manufacturing of bullet trains and associated signalling systems for future standard gauge high-speed corridors, according to senior government officials. The implementation of significant infrastructure projects, including the bullet train initiative, is expected to accelerate in Maharashtra following recent election results.


The planned indigenous high-speed trains will be developed from the current Vande Bharat platform. The signalling systems for these corridors will facilitate the development of Kavach 5.0, representing the most sophisticated automatic train protection technology.

"Work on the bullet train corridor in Maharashtra picked up pace after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government took charge. Entire land acquisition is complete and over 320-kilometres of the physical infrastructure work is ready," the official said.

Also Read | High-speed 280 kmph trains soon! Indian Railways to manufacture bullet trains - check top features

Regarding future high-speed corridors, the official told ET that insights from the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project will be valuable. "India is now capable to single-handedly take up this project in more corridors. We should have our own trains in future corridors as well," he said.


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"India wants to become fully capable of making bullet trains that can touch speeds of up to 280 kilometres per hour (kmph) and average at 250 kmph operational speed," a second official said.

Regarding India's indigenous bullet train development strategy, the second official explained, "There will be incremental improvement in Bogies (suspension systems). But power train and body will require significant development. They will take around three years to be ready."

Addressing questions about the future of Shinkansen suppliers, the second official clarified, "We do not want to stop Japanese collaboration. Negotiation is ongoing regarding the supply deal for these modern trains that will run on the MAHSR corridor."

Also Read | Linking Leh with Pangong! New Rs 6,000 crore twin tube tunnel project in works; details here

The Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) manifesto included plans to initiate feasibility studies for Bullet Train Corridors across North, South and East India.


The MAHSR corridor's civil works are 50% complete. The Railway Board has commissioned Integral Coach Factory (ICF) to produce bullet trains capable of 280 kmph speeds. BEML has been engaged by the railway production unit to manufacture these trains for Rs 866.87 crore.

BEML has set the price at Rs 27.86 crore per coach. The contract value includes design expenses, development costs, non-recurring charges, and expenditure for jigs, fixtures, tooling and testing facilities.

India.com·15h
Vande Bharat sleeper train update: Rs 54000 crore contract! India inks deals with this country for 1920 sleeper coaches; production to begin...

 

[Sharma Ji]

You been on one of these @Krishna with Flute ?

I'm curious and want to check, routes to CSTM and Mangaluru from here. Day ride to Mumbai would be awesome and super scenic.

 

[Krishna with Flute]

You been on one of these @Krishna with Flute ?

I'm curious and want to check, routes to CSTM and Mangaluru from here. Day ride to Mumbai would be awesome and super scenic.

@Sharma Ji ,

Fast trains are not good to enjoy scenic beauty. Whenever I travel to Dang in rainy seasons, I drive car very slow to enjoy the beauty of those unparallelly beautiful jungles. People say that if you travel in Dang in proper rainy season, you will enjoy as much as Kashmir if not more. What I want to say is that travel slowly to enjoy scenic beauty. Fast trains are not good one.

 

[Sharma Ji]

@Sharma Ji ,

Fast trains are not good to enjoy scenic beauty. Whenever I travel to Dang in rainy seasons, I drive car very slow to enjoy the beauty of those unparallelly beautiful jungles. People say that if you travel in Dang in proper rainy season, you will enjoy as much as Kashmir if not more. What I want to say is that travel slowly to enjoy scenic beauty. Fast trains are not good one.

Bhai the western ghat I've also done by road a couple times (mum - goa) but trains traverse through some areas where there are no roads, those scapes are very surreal and stunning.. alien planet vibes, bro.. a green inhabitable beautiful planet teeming with all manner of life.

Scene, bro !

 

[Sharma Ji]

I wish commercial jetliners would fly at max flight level 50 (5k feet ag/asl) .. at 150 knots, full flaps, landing raftaar

and weave around leisurely like we do in flight sims lol

 

[Sharma Ji]

most of this country is khali zameen and pure nature, uninhabited.

elites and modern lifestyle ne fasa rakha hai sabko in these population centres.

 

[Krishna with Flute]

Bhai the western ghat I've also done by road a couple times (mum - goa) but trains traverse through some areas where there are no roads, those scapes are very surreal and stunning.. alien planet vibes, bro.. a green inhabitable beautiful planet teeming with all manner of life.

Scene, bro !

Some places has some adorable beauty. They are very special, and Indian Vibes make it more enjoyable. Spirituality and vibrant local culture make it even batter to explore and experience. I have explored some tribal areas and enjoyed its beauty like anything. Last week I had been to a place (Not Tribal) on the bank of RIver Narmada. Its name is Nareshwar. Rang Avadhhut Maharaj had done penance there. You can feel totally different vibes there. No matter how tall the trees are, you can touch its branches. All tree's branches have gown downside to an extent that it touches the ground. Temple staff has to cut it to make the walkway for tourist.

 

[Krishna with Flute]

Kargil To Get ₹1.31 Lakh Crore Rail Project To Boost Connectivity | N18V | CNBC TV18​

Boosting Rail Connectivity! Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw says the mega Kargil project will cost Rs 1.31 lakh crore. He also said that the Bilaspur-Manali-Leh line, which is 489-km-long, has been identified as a strategic line by the Ministry of Defence. #WATCH #railwayminister #kargil #investment #railproject #leh #ladakh #BilaspurManaliLeh #cnbctv18digital 🔴CNBC TV18 LIVE TV: to our Channel: 👑 Check Out Top CNBC TV18 Playlist Videos: 🔹Young Turks Reloaded with Shereen Bhan: World News: TV18 Classic Interviews: TV18 Digital: TV18 Weekend Special: TV18 Next-Gen: Show: TV18 Newsreels: Streets: can also connect with CNBC-TV18 News OnlineCatch the latest news: CNBC-TV18 round the clock: updated with all the market action in real time: can also stay updated with all the latest news on-the-go with CNBC-TV18 Minis: us on Facebook: us on Twitter: us on Instagram: us on: Linkedin: CNBC-TV18: See less
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MSN

 

[Krishna with Flute]

Hydrogen-powered trains will run fast on the tracks! Railways preparing for pilot project​

15h•
2 min read

Hydrogen-powered trains will run fast on the tracks! Railways preparing for pilot project
Hydrogen Train: Indian Railways is preparing to run hydrogen fuel-based trains as soon as possible. As a pilot project, the train will be run on the Jind-Sonipat section. However, the cost of this is going to be high.

Hydrogen Train: Hydrogen-powered trains are going to run on the railway tracks in the country soon. However, experts say that it will not be so easy because the cost of this is high and it is also technically challenging.


The pilot project will start soon in this section

There are preparations to run the hydrogen train on the Jind-Sonipat section as a pilot project. For this, the hydrogen fuel cell will be installed on the existing Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU). The cost of the train and the cost of ground infrastructure is Rs 111 crore. It is to be launched by May this year. Its cost is equal to the 16 coach Vande Bharat train.

2800 crores spent on 35 hydrogen trains

The budget for the year 2023-24 included a cost of Rs 2800 crore for the construction of 35 hydrogen fuel cell based trains for various heritage/hill routes. Apart from this, a cost of Rs 600 crore was also included for hydrogen infrastructure for heritage lines. Experts believe that the expenditure on the hydrogen train project is very high. Railways has electrified all 70,000 route kilometers of the broad gauge network except trains built for tourism or heritage purposes.


High running cost of hydrogen trains

According to an estimate made by the Indian Railways, the running cost of trains running on hydrogen fuel will be high. Later if the number of trains increases, the cost will also be reduced. According to a report by Business Today, former General Manager of Indian Railways Lalit Chandra Trivedi says that green hydrogen is expensive and it is necessary to reduce the cost to bring it to par with diesel or electrification. In railways, after electrical power is generated from renewable energy, it is directly sent to the overhead electrical equipment through the grid, whereas there is no such option in the case of hydrogen.

MSN

 

[Krishna with Flute]

India Will Soon Have The World's Longest Hyperloop: Ashwini Vaishnaw | N18V | CNBC TV18​

"India will soon have the longest Hyperloop tube in the world," announced Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw while inspecting the hyperloop test track at IIT Madras. Next-Gen: Show: TV18 Newsreels: Streets: can also connect with CNBC-TV18 News OnlineCatch the latest news: CNBC-TV18 round the clock: updated with all the market action in real time: can also stay updated with all the latest news on-the-go with CNBC-TV18 Minis: us on Facebook: us on Twitter: us on Instagram: us on: Linkedin: CNBC-TV18: See less
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MSN

MSN

 

[Krishna with Flute]

India’s Hyperloop leap: The future of ultra-high-speed travel begins now​

Opinion by Anil Nair

India’s Hyperloop leap: The future of ultra-high-speed travel begins now
Mass transportation, apart from the sheer volume of passengers and freight, isn't something India tends to be remembered for. But this may change with the advent of ultra-high-speed rail (UHSR), or hyperloop. The concept was first published by Elon Musk in a 2013 white paper, 'Hyperloop Alpha'.


Hyperloop envisions pods carrying passengers or cargo in near-vacuum tubes at speeds approaching that of aircraft. Reduced friction and magnetic levitation enable significantly abbreviated travel times, reducing energy consumption and emissions compared to traditional modes.

India commissioned a 422-m hyperloop test track - the world's longest - in December 2024, developed by Avishkar Hyperloop at IIT Madras, in collaboration with the Indian Railways and L&T Construction. Last month, TuTr Hyperloop, another IIT Madras-incubated deep-tech startup, working with Swisspod Technologies, conducted India's first commercial hyperloop pod test run.

The primary challenges this new tech will encounter relate to infrastructure costs and technological hurdles. Safety concerns dominate discussions now, as the tech is in its nascent stage, and the regulatory framework is a work-in-progress.


While estimates put the global UHSR market at $6.6 bn by 2026, the market could explode if trials work. Richard Branson's Virgin Hyperloop is working on projects in the US, Saudi Arabia and Dubai. Hyperloop Transportation Technologies is building a commercial prototype between Abu Dhabi and Dubai that will cut travel time from 1.5 hrs to 12 mins.

Musk's Boring Company has built a test tunnel in California and is talking about getting from DC to NYC in under- 30 mins, a distance flights take 80 mins. TransPod, a Canadian company, aims to reduce Toronto-Montreal travel time substantially, while the India-based DGW Hyperloop has completed a feasibility study to connect Delhi and Mumbai, aiming to get passengers to their destination in just over an hour.

European Hyperloop Center (EHC), at Groningen in the Netherlands, uses a mock-up vehicle that offers near-real VR experience so as to draw attention more sharply to the travel experience. Unlike other businesses, in the UHSR business, psychological aspects of consumers - like unanticipated phobia of travelling at ultra-high speed in a small pod - would need extra attention.



Tech challenges Hyperloop tech involves magnetic levitation in a de-pressurised environment within what seems like an endless tube. Apart from the surmountable challenge of maintaining stability, keeping minimal gaps between pods and ensuring pods don't collide, there's the formidable hurdle of eliminating the risk of implosive recompression in a vacuum environment.

Economic challenges Infra costs involved in creating a failsafe steel tube stretching across thousands of kms, along with surrounding support systems, are significant. Land acquisition is always complex. IT systems to manage this would have to be future-ready to pre-empt outages and enable rapid remediation, including a command centre and digital twin, both operating 24x7, 365 days a year. Ticket economics would have to figure out the fine line between price, safety, comfort and convenience so that demand doesn't lag and isn't confined to a niche ride.


If the concept underlying hyperloop does take off, the face of many industries could change forever.

Aviation Commercial airline companies will have to reimagine themselves, at least regarding short-to-medium-haul flights. Transportation at high speed, without the hassle of queues for check-in, security and boarding, may be enticing, as is the prospect of arriving at a station in the middle of the city rather than at its edge.

Railway Train travel could get disrupted, as distances and time shrink. As would the freight and logistics business, with trade routes, supply chains and warehousing options getting reconfigured.

Urban planning If distant areas become accessible, the real estate industry would grow significantly, mitigating acute urban density while changing urban habitats. Envisage vast changes in urban architecture too, starting with hyperloop stations that would have to facilitate rapid embarking and disembarking, new retail formats, interconnectivity options, and proximal residential and commercial spaces. Also, the emergence of new economic corridors would spur business growth.


Hyperloop, powered by RE, could alter fossil-fuel dependence of the transportation industry. While directly creating jobs in design, manufacturing, construction, logistics and operations, the overall job market will expand with larger talent pools becoming available.

Tourism could proliferate, with connectivity to distant destinations expanding. Hyperloops could even house fibre optic cables to facilitate ultra-high-speed data transmission. Reassurance regarding safety, utility, convenience and cost is a must. It could actually expedite adoption, much like what the airline industry went through during its inception.

MSN

 

[Krishna with Flute]

Did you know about India’s first vertical lift rail bridge in Rameswaram?​

Let Copilot break it down—see the key takeaways in seconds.

Did you know about India’s first vertical lift rail bridge in Rameswaram?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the much-awaited new Pamban vertical lift railway bridge in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, on April 6, a major engineering achievement for India.

The ceremony falls on Ram Navami day, which lends religious meaning to this momentous occasion. The Prime Minister will also pray at the famous Ramanathaswamy Temple on the visit.

About the vertical rail bridge:​

This 2.5-kilometer-long wonder replaces a century-old Pamban bridge constructed in 1914 and shut down in 2022 because of corrosion. In contrast to its predecessor, which would take 25-30 minutes to clear the passage of ships, the new vertical lift bridge takes only five minutes to rise, enabling trains to cross the sea connecting mainland India and Rameswaram in record time.

Construction, which cost ₹535 crore and was undertaken by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), ensured that the bridge could support the passage of more speedier trains and had the capacity to manage speeds of as much as 80 kmph. But, because of a curve structure, Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) has allowed a speed limit of 75 kmph in regular sections and 50 kmph in the lift span.

Why is this a technological marvel?​

This is India’s first-ever vertical lift railway bridge and Asia’s first of its kind. It has an electromechanical operation, i.e., a single operator can operate the lifting system. This is a significant change from the previous bridge, which used a manual cantilever mechanism.


Even as the bridge takes pride of place with all-new features, there is a draw back—one: when there is a speed of wind that goes beyond 58 kmph, the lift is not available. This could present a problem during the months between October and February, which typically experience heavy wind in the region.

A lifeline for pilgrims and visitors​

The historic Pamban bridge was the sole rail connection between Rameswaram and mainland India for several decades. It played a vital role in bringing pilgrims to the Ramanathaswamy Temple, which is one of the Char Dham pilgrimage centers. It was also a gateway to Dhanushkodi, a tourist spot at the southernmost tip of India.

Until the construction of the Pamban road bridge in 1988, only trains could facilitate transport between Rameswaram Island in the Gulf of Mannar and Mandapam. With the commencement of the new railway bridge, access to this holy and scenic area is soon going to enhance considerably.

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