Train 18: India's first engineless train to debut on tracks on Oct 29

Train 18 -- India's first engineless train, which is being regarded as a successor to the 30-year-old Shatabdi Express is set to hit the tracks for trials on October 29.

Once successfully tested, it will be inducted in the Indian Railways fleet.

The semi-high speed train has been manufactured under ‘Make in India’ initiative by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai at the cost of Rs 100 crore.

First, the train will undergo three to four days of trial outside the factory before being handed over to the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) for further trials, ICF General Manager Sudhanshu Mani told news agency PTI.

RDSO, which is a technical adviser to the Indian Railways, will conduct testing and give its validation to the train.

Here are some of the key feature of the much-awaited train:

The fully air-conditioned train is a swanky 16-coach prototype without a locomotive (engine).

The self-propelled train is fitted with Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras for passenger safety and security.

The train called ‘Make in India, Made for India’ by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, has been fitted with Wi-Fi and infotainment.

प्रधानमंत्री @NarendraModi के मेक इन इंडिया अभियान को आगे बढ़ाते हुए भारतीय रेल ने विश्वस्तरीय T-18 ट्रेन का निर्माण किया है, यह ट्रेन आधुनिक सुविधाओं से परिपूर्ण है व यात्रियों को एक विश्वस्तरीय सफर देने के लिए तैयार है। आइए देखते है इसकी खासियत : pic.twitter.com/jxVvrfCkcC

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) October 25, 2018

The train has two executive compartments in the middle with 52 seats each. The trailer coaches have 78 seats each. It will have 360-degree rotating seats.

It was developed in 18 months and is designed in such a way that passengers can look at the driver's cabin.

The indigenously built train has diffused lighting, automatic doors and sliding footsteps besides GPS-based Passenger Information System.

The footstep in a coach's doorway slides outward when the train stops at a station. This will allow passengers to alight safely with comfort. This feature was incorporated in view of the variation in height between a train's floor and the platform.

The train can travel up to the speed at 160 kilometres per hour (kmph) as against 130 kmph of Shatabdi Express. This would result in the travel time being reduced by around 15 percent once the tracks are fit to suit Train 18's speed.