CHENNAI: The Rs 100 crore country’s first engine-less train “Train 18”, developed by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) here and regarded as a successor to the prestigious Shatabdi Express, was unveiled Monday by Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani.
Train 18, the first long-distance train sans separate locomotive (engine), was flagged off at the ICF premises by Lohani and would undergo trials in the coming months, ICF officials said.
The fully air-conditioned train, driven by a self-propulsion module, had the potential to become the country’s fastest train provided the infrastructure was bettered, Lohani said.
Five more units of the train would be produced by the ICF by the end of 2019-20 production year, which is same as financial year, he said.
The swanky 16-coach train will cut journey time by 15 per cent compared to the 30-year old Shatabdi.
“It is a matter of pride that India has made such a train for the first time and that too ICF has done it within 18 months,” Lohani told reporters here. (AGENCIES)
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