Train 18 – India's first engine-less train set for trial run today

The trial run of Train 18 - India’s first indigenously built engine-less semi high-speed train will be conducted Saturday. A team of Research Designs and Standards Organization (RDSO) has already arrived in Moradabad for the trial run that will be conducted on Bareilly-Moradabad section on a standard railway track.

According to the Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani, Train 18 is the first long-distance train of the country that will run without a separate locomotive engine. The train will have 16-coach semi-high speed ‘trainset’ built at a cost of Rs 100 crore per rake.

The fully air-conditioned train will be driven by a self-propulsion module. With 80 per cent Indian components, the train has been designed for a maximum operating speed of 160 kmph.

Moradabad: First trial run of Indian Railways' "Train 18", India's first engine-less train, to be conducted tomorrow on Bareilly-Moradabad section on a standard railway track. Research Designs and Standards Organization (RDSO) team has also reached Moradabad for the trial run pic.twitter.com/w7Ub31mtrd

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The train is being named “Shatabdi killer” as it will eventually replace the Shatabdi Express for inter-city travel. The train will reduce the travel time by 15 per cent compared to the Shatabdi Express.

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The Indian Railways plans to produce five more units of the train by the end of 2019-20 production year. The acceleration and deceleration of the train will also be faster as every alternative coach is motorised to ensure equal distribution of power.