- January 9, 2025
Railways Gives ‘Warm Welcome’ To Vande Bharat For Kashmir, Tailored With Advanced Heating Systems – News18
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Silicon heating pads have been added to prevent freezing in water and bio-toilet tanks, with overheat protection sensors ensuring safety and reliability. Heated plumbing pipelines are installed with self-regulating heating cables to prevent water freezing, ensuring smooth operations even in sub-zero temperatures
The eight-coach Vande Bharat will run between Jammu and Srinagar and will cover the distance in three hours and ten minutes. (Representational image/PTI)
Heating elements in windshields, silicon heating pads in water and bio-toilet tanks, heated plumbing pipelines, and heaters in Indian toilets. These are the upgrades in the Vande Bharat chaircar train, as it will start an all-weather journey towards Kashmir soon.
Speaking to News18, a railway ministry official said that special revamps were done on the Vande Bharat train that will go to Kashmir due to the weather conditions in the region. Changes have been made in only one rake that will travel to Kashmir, the official said.
The Kashmir version of the Vande Bharat chaircar train was revealed as the statutory safety inspection of the newly constructed electrified railway line from Katra to Reasi on the Katra-Banihal section was conducted by the commissioner of railway safety (northern circle) this week.
The inauguration of broad gauge train services in the Kashmir valley with the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) section marks a new era of connectivity in the region.
“The train was specifically designed and tailored to operate seamlessly in the region’s challenging winter conditions of the Kashmir valley,” the official said.
The eight-coach Vande Bharat will run between Jammu and Srinagar and will cover the distance in three hours and ten minutes.
‘Hot’ wheels
Silicon heating pads have been added to prevent freezing in water and bio-toilet tanks, with overheat protection sensors ensuring safety and reliability.
Heated plumbing pipelines are installed with self-regulating heating cables to prevent water freezing, ensuring smooth operations even in sub-zero temperatures.
Further, heaters were also installed in the “Indian toilets” to provide warm air for vacuum systems and lavatories, enhancing passenger comfort.
Also, to prevent freezing during stabling, plumbing lines are equipped with an auto-draining mechanism.
To ensure the air brake system functions optimally in freezing conditions, air dryer system heating has been introduced.
In a statement, the ministry said overcoming the challenges of snow, freezing temperatures, and extreme conditions, this train ensures uninterrupted rail services.
Trains to Kashmir
On Wednesday, speed trials were conducted in both directions between Katra and Banihal, reaching up to 110 kmph.
This final remaining section of the USBRL Project is situated in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. Its commissioning will ensure the connectivity of Kashmir valley to the rest of India through the railway network.
Parts of the 111 km Katra-Banihal section of the USBRL project are already operational—Banihal to Sangaldan (48 km) and Sangaldan to Reasi (46 km). The entire section is electrified.
In total, the USBRL project is 272 km, including the 111 km Katra-Banihal section. The Katra-Banihal segment passes through the young Himalayas, which are full of geological surprises and numerous problems.
This section predominantly involves tunneling—97.42 km across 25 tunnels.
“Close to 90% of the length of the Katra-Banihal section is in tunnels, and the maximum length of tunnel T-49 is 12.77 km, which will be the longest transportation railway tunnel in the country,” he said.
The project boasts impressive engineering structures, including the iconic Chenab Bridge with an overall length of 1,315 m, an arch span of 467 m, and a height of 359 m above the river bed. It is the highest railway arch bridge in the world.
The section also included the cable stay bridge at Anji Khad, which is the first Indian railway bridge of its kind, having a length of 473 m and the height of the main pylon is 193 m.
There are seven stations on the section: Khari, Sumber, and Sangaldan in Ramban district, and Sawalkote, Dugga, Bakkal, and Reasi in Reasi district of J&K. All these station yards are constructed partly inside tunnels and on bridges due to space constraints.
