Vande Bharat Freight EMU Completes 130 km/h Trial on Ahmedabad–Mumbai Route

Indian Railways has successfully completed a 130 km/h trial of the country’s first Vande Bharat Freight EMU on the Ahmedabad–Vadodara–Mumbai Central route, paving the way for faster parcel transportation.

The trial was conducted as a Confirmatory Oscillograph Car Run (COCR) under the supervision of the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), with the train’s speed, stability and performance assessed on the Western Railway section.

16-Coach Freight EMU Tested at 130 km/h

The 16-coach Freight EMU was manufactured by Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF) using the Vande Bharat platform.

The rake was prepared at the Inland Container Depot (ICD) Sabarmati and departed Ahmedabad for Mumbai Central at 9 am on September 12. The return trial from Mumbai Central to Ahmedabad was completed successfully on September 13.

During the test, the rake operated with a 50% payload and an axle load of 20.32 tonnes.

The train has a design speed of 160 km/h. It had earlier reached 145 km/h in an empty condition during trials in the Kota Division of West Central Railway.

Designed for High-Value, Time-Sensitive Cargo

The Freight EMU is aimed at moving goods that require faster and more predictable transportation, including e-commerce shipments, courier parcels, electronics, pharmaceuticals and cold-chain products.

Its operation on passenger-route infrastructure is expected to offer a faster alternative to road-based logistics for selected cargo movements.

Automatic Doors, Roller Floors and Cold-Chain Facility

The rake has wide automatic doors designed to speed up loading and unloading operations. Roller floors will allow pallet-based handling of cargo, reducing the time required for transferring consignments.

The train also has provision for refrigerated, or reefer, vans to support the movement of perishable goods and temperature-sensitive products.

Safety and monitoring systems include the indigenous Kavach train protection system, CCTV surveillance, fire detection and automatic door-locking mechanisms.

Freight EMU to Complement DFC Operations

The new service is not intended to replace heavy freight trains operating on the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC).

Instead, the Freight EMU is designed to provide faster express-style logistics on passenger routes, targeting time-sensitive consignments that can benefit from shorter transit times.

Commercial Launch After RDSO Evaluation

The commercial launch is expected after RDSO completes its assessment of the trial data.

If cleared for operations, the Vande Bharat Freight EMU could provide an additional rail-based option for businesses seeking faster movement of high-value and time-sensitive cargo between major markets.