Train speed to increase on Indias busiest Delhi-Howrah route; trials begin Oct 11
Speed of trains on India's busiest Delhi-Howrah rail route may soon increase. High-speed trials will begin on October 11. Currently, trains on this route operate at speeds between 90 and 130 km/h.
New Delhi: In a good news for passengers, as a part of "Mission Raftaar," the Indian Railway is preparing to increase the speed of trains on the Delhi-Howrah rail route. Trains on this route will soon run at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour. This will significantly reduce the travel time. The first trial will take place on October 11 on the 190-kilometer stretch between Chipiyana Buzurg and Tundla.
If successful, the New Delhi to Tundla section will become the first section in the country where trains will run at such high speeds. Trials will then be conducted on the Tundla-Kanpur, Kanpur-Prayagraj, and Prayagraj-Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya sections.
Delhi-Howrah is India’s busiest rail route
The Delhi-Howrah route is one of the India's busiest rail route. Mission Raftaar is being implemented on this 1,433-kilometer route with an expenditure of Rs 6,974.50 crore, of which Rs 1,002.12 crore has already been released. Currently, trains on this route operate at speeds of 90 to 130 km/h, but the Railways aims to achieve a speed of 160 km/h by March 2026.
Automatic signalling system
Central to the success of this project is the automatic signaling system, which has now been completed across the 760-kilometer stretch from Ghaziabad to DDU. This technology allows for the safe and fast operation of multiple trains and reduces human error. In addition, modern technologies such as electronic interlocking, integrated power supplies, data loggers, dual axle counters, auto-reset systems, and earth leakage detectors are being installed. This will ensure seamless signaling even at high speeds.