New Delhi

After the successful launch of high-speed Gatimaan Express, the Railways will commence the much-awaited trials of the Spanish Talgo train between Bareilly and Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh tomorrow as part of its strategy to increase the speed of trains.

Nine Talgo coaches will be hauled by a 4,500 HP diesel engine for a trial run from Bareilly at 8.50 AM tomorrow at a speed ranging between 80-115 km per hour, a senior Railway Ministry official involved with the trial said.

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, he said.

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

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.

The trial run on the 90-km long line between Bareilly and Moradabad will continue for two weeks and after that it will be tried on Rajdhani route between Mathura and Palwal for 40 days with speed up to 180 km per hour, the official said.

The third trial will be between Delhi and Mumbai for two weeks.

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 last month.

PTI