Vande Bharat Freight train begins trials, hits top speed of 145 km/h
New Delhi: Indian Railways has officially started trial runs for the country’s very first Vande Bharat freight train, reaching a top speed of 145 kmph on its very first day of testing. The month-long trial phase is currently underway in the Kota Division of the West Central Railway (WCR) zone, marking a major step toward supercharging cargo delivery across India’s rail network.
The month-long tests are happening on the Kota-Nagda-Sawai Madhopur route under the West Central Railway zone.
According to Saurabh Jain, Developed by the Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF), the 16-coach platform-based Freight EMU prototype rake arrived in Kota to undergo comprehensive testing by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO).
“These trials being conducted by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), this prototype rake has arrived in Kota Division from ICF Chennai. Detailed technical trials are now being carried out on the Kota-Nagda-Sawai Madhopur section, which is among Indian Railways’ most suitable high-speed test corridors,”said Saurabh Jain, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of Kota Division.
Successful First Day on the Tracks
The official trial series kicked off on July 29, 2026, when the train left Kota for Mahidpur Road at 6:00 AM.
During the initial leg, engineers tested the train at speeds of 120 kmph and 135 kmph. The real highlight came during the return trip to Kota, where the freight rake hit a peak speed of 145 kmph. Officials noted that the run was seamless, helped by a clear path of uninterrupted green signals along the route.
Over the next month, the train will undergo at least two round trips daily on the Nagda-Kota-Sawai Madhopur rail section. The extensive test battery includes:
- Oscillation trials under loaded conditions at 120, 130, 140, and 145 kmph
- Emergency Braking Distance (EBD) and coupler force tests
- Curve performance, traction, braking, and jerk evaluations
- Regenerative energy and passenger announcement/information system (PAPIS) checks
- Signal interference, door operation, and electrical short-circuit safety tests
“During the trials, a minimum of two round trips will be operated daily. The maximum test speed has been set at 145 kmph,” Jain said.
Why Kota Was Chosen for the Test
Kota Division has quickly become the primary proving ground for Indian Railways’ newest technologies. Officials attribute this to the region’s top-tier track infrastructure, modern signaling setups, and overall operational safety.
“The fact that the trial of the country’s first Vande Bharat Freight EMU is also taking place on this section is proof of Kota Division’s technical reliability and operational excellence,” he said.
Modern Features for Express Freight
Built to handle time-sensitive cargo, the 16-coach rake features two refrigerated DTC vans for perishable goods, two NDTC coaches, and 12 general parcel coaches. It boasts an axle load capacity of 20.32 tonnes and can carry up to 397.02 tonnes of total payload.
To make loading and unloading faster, the coaches are built with pneumatic retractable roller flooring and four wide automatic sliding doors on each coach. Safety measures are equally strict: all doors automatically lock once the train crosses 5 kmph, and the train cannot move unless every door is fully secured.It also features built-in fire detection, container locks, CCTV, and modern Vande Bharat braking systems.
“Indian Railways believes that the success of this Freight EMU will give new direction in future to the country’s high-speed parcel corridor, e-commerce logistics, refrigerated freight transport, and time-bound freight services. Once commercial operations begin, this rake will play an important role in making freight transport considerably faster, safer, and more reliable than the traditional system,” the Railway official said.
Curated by- Ramansh Dhadwal