India’s first Vande Bharat Freight EMU has reached a speed of 130 kmph during trial runs on the Ahmedabad–Vadodara–Mumbai Central section of Western Railway, marking a significant step towards introducing faster rail-based logistics services for time-sensitive cargo.
The 16-coach freight train, developed by Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF), is being tested by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO). The rake was prepared at ICD Sabarmati and departed Ahmedabad for Mumbai Central on September 12, with the return trial conducted on September 13.
The trial was carried out with a 50% payload and an axle load of 20.32 tonnes, while complying with permanent and temporary speed restrictions on the route. The rake has a design speed of around 160 kmph and had earlier achieved about 145 kmph in empty condition during trials on the Kota Division of West Central Railway.
Designed for high-speed parcel and freight movement, the Vande Bharat Freight EMU can carry e-commerce shipments, courier packages, electronics, pharmaceuticals, refrigerated and other cold-chain cargo, as well as other high-value and time-sensitive goods.
The train features refrigerated vans, parcel coaches, wide automatic loading doors, roller flooring for palletised cargo, CCTV surveillance, fire detection, automatic door locking and advanced safety systems, including Kavach.
Indian Railways said the Vande Bharat Freight EMU is not intended to replace heavy freight trains operating on Dedicated Freight Corridors. Instead, it is aimed at providing a faster and more reliable option for smaller, high-value and time-sensitive consignments on passenger railway routes.
RDSO will analyse the performance and safety data generated during the trials to assess the feasibility of future commercial operations. The service could potentially strengthen Indian Railways’ express logistics offering and provide an alternative to road transport for high-value and time-critical cargo.