Canadian multinational business jets and rail manufacturer, Bombardier Transportation and India’s National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) have unveiled the train design for the country’s first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS). Both the NCRTC team and the Managing Director leading the Bombardier Transportation team in India were present at the time of the unveiling.
The new high-speed train draws its design inspiration from the iconic Lotus Temple in Delhi denoting the unique blend of the rich Indian heritage and sustainability. The new train is not only futuristic in design but also energy-efficient, ergonomic and comes with a low life cycle cost. The Bombardier trains are also equipped with state-of-the-art commuter centric features, such as business and economy class seatings, designated seatings for the differently-abled, women and the elderly.
In terms of comfort and convenience features the new trains will offer customer-centric features such as air-conditioning, on-board WiFi, smartphone charging, ergonomic storage spots for luggage, live infotainment streaming, push-button doors for selective opening and comes with accessible and welcoming interiors. The trains will have a 2 + 2 transverse seating arrangement with comfortable seat pitches and standing spaces. The train is also equipped with CCTV cameras for enhanced safety.
The aerodynamic trainsets will offer services in the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut semi-high-speed rail corridor under RRTS Phase 1 and come with a designated car for women in the six-car trainsets for regional services. The trainsets will come in two main configurations – three-car train configuration for the Meerut local transit services that can accommodate around 900 passengers, a six-car trainset for RRTS that accommodates around 1,790 passengers and a possibility of expanding the modular trainset with 9 cars in the future.
The semi-high-speed Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS will have 24 train stations and the new train will be able to traverse the distance of 82 kilometres in less than 60 minutes, boasting a 180 kmph design speed, one of the highest in the country. For efficient regional connectivity, local transit service will also run between Meerut South and Modipuram Depot Station with 13 stations over 21 km on the RRTS infrastructure. The Delhi-Meerut corridor is expected to have a daily ridership of around 800,000 passengers.
The high-speed train will be driven by the Bombardier MITRAC propulsion and control systems that offer a smooth start, rapid acceleration, constant speed and low noise. The system also boasts safety and reliability along with regenerative braking, in-line with the Lotus Temple’s energy conservation equation.
Bombardier was awarded the contract by NCRTC earlier this year to design, build and deliver the regional commuter and intracity transit trains and is the first project in India to include maintenance services as part of the rolling stock tender process. Bombardier’s team will provide maintenance services for a period of 15 years through two maintenance depots established by NCRTC in Duhai and Modipuram.
The Bombardier trains will be designed and manufactured at Bombardier’s Savli production facility in Gujarat with more than 80% component localisation.
