Train 18: Modi to flag off India's first engine-less rail travel on Dec 29

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be flagging off India’s first engine-less semi-high speed train — Train 18 — on December 29 from his constituency Varanasi.

According to reports, the train will replace Shatabdi trains and will run between Delhi and Varanasi.

4 years ago, we could not have imagined that we would see an Indian made engine-less train like Train 18 that would run at a speed of 180 km/h: PM pic.twitter.com/enKcwiVref

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal)

Here are some facts about Train 18.

• Train 18, manufactured by ICF Chennai at a cost of Rs 100 crore.
   
•  It is also India's fastest train. During trial-run on a section of the Delhi-Rajdhani route, it hit a speed of over 180 kmph.
   
• The train has several amenities also. Passengers will get WiFi, GPS-based passenger information system, touch-free bio-vacuum toilets, LED lighting and mobile charging points on board.
   
• The train also has an in-built climate control system which adjusts the temperature according to occupancy and weather.
   
• The train will have two executive compartments which will have 52 seats each and trailer coaches will have 78 seats each.
   
• The executive class will have rotating seats to match the direction of the train.

According to the tentative plan, the train will start from New Delhi station at 6 am and is expected to reach Varanasi at 2 pm. For the return journey, the train will start at 2.30 pm from Varanasi and reach the national capital at 10.30 pm on the same day.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, impressed with the success of Train 18 during trials, has recently asked ICF to build four more similar rakes in the current financial year.

Inputs from PTI

Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.