Talgo train trial in Mathura-Palwal section today

Railways will run the Spanish train Talgo at a maximum speed of upto 180 km per hour during the second phase trial on Saturday from Mathura station.     

The second phase trial will be held between Mathura and Palwal stations on July 9, said a senior Railway Ministry official.

Earlier trial was carried out between Bareilly and Moradabad stations last month.

A team of Spanish officials along with railways officials and experts from Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO) will be present onboard during the nine-coach Talgo train trial.

Talgo coaches are lightweight and designed in a way that it can run on curves without decelerating the speed.

"The trial will continue till July 26 and various aspects will be observed during the trial run, the official
said.

After the successful launch of semi-high speed Gatimaan Express, Talgo trial is being conducted as part of railways strategy to increase the speed of trains.

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

Hauled by a 4,500 HP diesel engine, Talgo train ran at a speed ranging between 80-115 km per hour during the first trial.

The trial will be conducted with empty coaches and after filling those with sand bags. The testing team will be in the coaches during trials.

Besides speed, testing team will also take note of vibration, safety and stability of lightweight coaches during the trial and these technical parametres were vital for high speed run.

About the earlier trial results, the official said report is under preparation with analysis of various technical data.

However, he said though the preliminary report is okay there will also be a final trial between Mumbai-Delhi route before finalising the report.

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

The Delhi-Mumbai Rajdhani Express runs at an average speed of 85 km per hour while the Talgo train can maintain an average speed of 125 km per hour. Talgo envisages the journey between Delhi and Mumbai can be completed in about 12 hours as compared to 17 hours at present.

Besides reducing travel time, Talgo's lighter trains consume 30 per cent less energy.

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 in April.