The Railway Board has mandated a reduction in the speed of semi-high-speed trains, Gatimaan Express and Vande Bharat Express, from 160 km/h to 130 km/h until the automatic train protection (ATP) system is operational.
Currently, only the Gatimaan Express and two Vande Bharat trains operate at 160 km/h between Hazrat Nizamuddin (New Delhi) and Agra, due to suitable track conditions.
On June 24, the Railway Board’s Executive Director (Signal) issued a letter to the General Manager of the NCR zone, noting that the speed of these trains had been reviewed. The letter stated, “It is decided that as advised earlier, Zonal Railways to expedite IR-ATP Kavach works in the section and till the time the Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system is operational, trains to run at maximum speed of 130 km/h in the section.”
The NCR zone has been directed to implement this instruction, with the speed reduction also approved by the Railway Board’s Member, Infra; Member, Traction and Rolling Stock; and Member, Operation and Business Development.
A source within the Railway Board informed PTI, “The Board took the decision on its own in the wake of the recent Kanchanjunga Express accident in West Bengal, in which a goods train collided with a passenger train, resulting in ten fatalities including the freight train’s driver.” The speed restriction has been in effect since June 25.
The directive specifically mentions three trains: the New Delhi-Rani Kamalapati Vande Bharat Express (train number 20171/20172), the Hazrat Nizamuddin-Khajuraho Vande Bharat Express (train number 22470/22469), and the New Delhi-Virangana Lakshmibai Jhansi Gatimaan Express (train number 12049/12050).
Gatimaan Express, India’s first semi-high-speed train, was launched in April 2016. It operates between Hazrat Nizamuddin and Jhansi, reaching speeds of 160 km/h only between Tughlakabad and Agra due to track suitability.
“On June 22, 2024, five days after the Kanchanjunga Express accident, the crew of Gatimaan was instructed by the control department to reduce speed from 160 km/h to 140 km/h. Two days later, the Railway Board’s directive further reduced the speed to 130 km/h,” a source from the Delhi Rail Division stated.
Dear Reader,
Every day, our team at EastMojo travels through rain, rough roads, and remote hills to bring you stories that matter – stories from your town, your people, your Northeast.
We do this because we believe in truthful, independent journalism. No big corporate backing, no government pressure – just honest reporting by local journalists who live and breathe the same air you do.
But to keep doing this work, we need you. Your small contribution helps us pay our reporters fairly, reach places others ignore, and keep asking the tough questions.
If you believe the Northeast deserves its own fearless voice, stand with us.
Support independent journalism. Be a Member.
Thank you,
Karma Paljor
Editor-in-Chief, eastmojo.com
Another railway source mentioned, “Vande Bharat runs at 130 km/h across all rail networks except this New Delhi-Agra route, which allows it to reach 160 km/h.” He further added, “The distance between Nizamuddin and Agra is 188 km, with approximately 125 km of that stretch permitting speeds up to 160 km/h. On the remaining stretches, the speed remains below 130 km/h. Vande Bharat and Gatimaan had similar speed profiles until the new directive.”
According to railway sources, the Agra division is actively working on the ‘Kavach’ installation and has developed a complete ‘Kavach’ network on the 80 km stretch between Mathura (excluding the station) and Palwal. This involves placing RFID tags on tracks, installing stationary ‘Kavach’ units, and setting up towers and antennas along the tracks.
“This installation is currently for trial purposes and is not yet used in train operations. It can be made operational once authorised,” stated a loco pilot on that route.
The Kavach system, developed by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), is designed to automatically apply brakes in emergencies if the train driver fails to act in time.
Also read | Five State Bank of Sikkim officials’ residences, offices raided for bribery