India’s first Vande Bharat freight train undergoes 130 kmph trial run on Kota-Rohal Khurd route

India's inaugural Vande Bharat freight train successfully executed a trial run at a speed of 130 kmph on the Kota-Rohal Khurd route, overseen by teams from the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) and the Integral Coach Factory (ICF). The testing, categorized as technical, evaluated the train's electrical and propulsion systems, delving into regenerative energy efficiency, thermal capacity, traction, braking performance, and jerk levels under loaded conditions.

Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of Kota Division, Saurabh Jain, elaborated on the regenerative energy test, which gauged the train's ability to recover electrical energy during braking. The thermal capacity assessment scrutinized the performance of electrical and propulsion systems at elevated speeds. Traction and braking tests scrutinized the train's pulling and braking capabilities, while jerk tests measured the train's gradual acceleration and deceleration when laden with cargo.

Crafted on the Vande Bharat blueprint, the 16-coach freight EMU is engineered to transport parcels and commodities at high velocities. Equipped with contemporary amenities such as advanced propulsion and braking systems, a specialized roller floor system for parcel loading, automatic wide sliding doors, temperature-controlled (reefer) facilities, CCTV surveillance, and fire detection systems, the train symbolizes a leap forward in parcel and logistics transportation within Indian Railways.