Mumbai to Delhi in less than 13 hours on Talgo trains

A Mumbai to Delhi train journey with in 13 hours could come true in the first week of August. As part of the final phase of trials, the nine-coach Talgo - the Spanish-manufactured high speed train will undertake three trips between Mumbai and Delhi between August 1 and 5.

The Western Railway (WR) sources said that the train will depart from New Delhi at 7.55 pm on August 1, and will maintain a speed of 130 kmph during the entire journey. "The Talgo officials have said that at this speed, the distance of 1,384 kms will be covered in 14 hours and 5 minutes. Currently, the Rajdhani Express touches 130 kmph and takes nearly 16 hours to cover the same distance," a WR source said.

The test drive only gets better during the return journey, scheduled for August 3. "The train will depart Mumbai at 3 am, and the goal is to reach Delhi by evening. During the last run, on August 5, the train will clock 150 kmph throughout the journey, which is likely to be completed in 12 hours and 55 minutes," the WR source said. The Railway officials said that the top brass, including Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, have pinned hopes on the three trial runs, which will determine how soon the Talgo trains can be pressed into service.

"Currently, the Gatiman Express between Delhi and Agra is the fastest Indian train at 160 kmph. The Talgo trains can clock 180 kmph.What we are trying to assess is the train's per formance on the curves. During the test run, we will increase the speed of the train on curves, as Talgo's coaches can achieve higher speeds on curves compared to other coaches," a senior railway official said.

The nine-coach Talgo train consists of two executive class compartments, four chair cars, a cafeteria, a power car, and a tail-end coach for equipment. A few days ago, the train completed the Mathura-Palwal test run at 180 kmph.

Ravindra Bhakar, the WR's chief public relations officer, said that these high-speed trains can "turn around" the Indian Railways. "Faster journey and a more comfortable journey is the aim. We are keeping fingers crossed for the August trial runs," he said.

THE SPEED MACHINES

Spain-based Talgo stands for Tren Articulado Ligero Goicoechea Oriol, which means light articulated train, and Goicoechea and Oriol are the company's owners (Alejandro Goicoechea and Jose Luis Oriol).

It is easily the fastest train on the Indian tracks, after it completed the Mathura-Palwal stretch at 180 kmph. The distance of 84 km was covered in 38 minutes.

It is 20 kmph faster than the Gatimaan Express, which has a maximum speed of 160 kmph. The other fast trains in India are the Shatabdi Express at 150 kmph, and the Rajdhani Express at 130 kmph.