New Vande Bharat trains will have enhanced security features, know details

Vande Bharat Express, the semi-high-speed trains will soon be equipped with enhanced security features and new amenities for passengers. As per a PTI report, the new sets of Vande Bharat trains will come with four emergency windows aimed at facilitating the easy evacuation of passengers in emergency situations. Each coach of the new trains will also have four emergency lights that will be useful if normal lights fail in case of an accident.

As per Railway officials, the first prototype rake equipped with these novel features is expected to be dispatched by March 2022 while the commercial service might begin by following June.

Currently, Indian Railways is operating two Vande Bharat trains in its network. One runs on the Delhi-Varanasi route, while the other on the Delhi-Katra route.

During last week’s Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that 75 Vande Bharat Express trains will be introduced in 75 weeks of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ which falls on August 15, 2023.

Focus on safety and emergency measures

According to the Indian Railways, the number of emergency buttons will be increased to four in the new trains. The current trains come with two emergency buttons. A centralised coach monitoring system has also been introduced to look after the electrical and climate control along with the operations of other vital systems.

The coached in new trains will have door circuits with fire survival cables and an air purification system that will provide ventilation for three hours in case of a power outage.

In terms of safety, the trains will come with better flood protection under-frame equipment for seamless travel during heavy showers.

More passenger comfort

The new trains will have reclining seats with a pushback facility. The existing Vande Bharat express trains have only push-back seats.

The new trains will offer amenities like onboard infotainment, GPS-based passenger information system, CCTV cameras, automatic sliding doors with retractable coach footsteps and zero discharge vacuum-based bio-toilets.