[Fx14]

Originally Posted by Fx14

The Vande Bharat Express is scheduled to run just ahead of the Shatabdi from Mumbai Central to Gandhinagar with fewer stops at Surat, Baroda and Ahmedabad.

The Shatabdi will now run only upto Ahmedabad and return to Mumbai Central following the Vande Bharat Express in both directions.

Passengers from Borivali for example may find it more convenient to travel by the Shatabdi rather than have to back track all the way to Mumbai Central.

So it was a matter of time for them to realise their folly and correct it:

For the convenience of passengers, an additional stoppage is being provided at Borivali station to Train No. 20901/02 Mumbai Central-Gandhinagar Capital Vande Bharat Exp wef. 23.01.2023.

Timings at a few stations will be revised due to the additional halt at Borivali.

Train No. 20901 will depart from Mumbai Central at 06.00 hrs instead of 06.10 hrs & at Vapi the train will arrive/depart at 07.56/07.58 hrs instead of 08.00/08.02 hrs.

There will be no change in the timings of arrival/departure at other stations.

Train No. 20902 will arrive Mumbai Central at 20.25 hrs instead of 20.15 hrs.

There will be no change in the timings of arrival/departure at other stations.

(Source - Ministry of Railways, Government of India).

[84.monsoon]

It has been couple of months since the Chennai - Mysuru Vande Bharat express was launched, finally got my chance to ride this train to Bengaluru. I generally try to take newly launched super fast trains very soon after they get flagged off, to get that “fresh” experience of the train. Did the Chennai - Madurai Tejas express on Day 2, but various other priorities prevented me from trying out the Vande Bharat earlier.

The perfect opportunity arose when my engineering batchmates decided to meet in Bengaluru to get together with two of the visiting America-vasis. Although flying would have been more efficient this time, as the meet up was at the Angsana resort near the Bengaluru airport, however, the draw of trying out the Vande Bharat made me choose the train over a flight this time. I would have loved to drive, especially since I had acquired a new BMW only a week ago, but since I was recuperating from a shoulder injury, which made driving slightly painful, decided against it.

On a recent journey on the Tejas express, I felt the regular Chair car was a bit cramped. As one gets on in age, subconsciously one seeks more comfort. Decided to go for the Executive Chair car on the Vande Bharat, though it is twice the cost and nearly as expensive as a flight to Bengaluru. Also, it would be a good chance to check out the seating and comfort features in this flagship class.

Took a cab and reached the Chennai Central station by 5.25 am. The Vande Bharat had secured its pride of place on platform number 1! The benefit of Chennai Central is that one can walk to any platform without climbing stairs, and so in a few minutes, I was at Platform 1 and had a first look at the sleek and majestic Vande Bharat.






The white and blue colour palette of the train gives it an arresting appearance during both night and daytime. The exteriors had been well washed and maintained really cleanly, I could not find any dirty areas or stains. The train has been in operation for 3 months, on a daily basis travelling 1000 kilometres, yet did not show any wear and tear, I am sure it is getting the top priority in terms of upkeep and maintenance. Also fortunately, the aam junta in these southern states don’t pelt stones at the Vande Bharat, even if it represents a shining achievement of the ruling Central Government!

Fortunately, the two Executive Chair car coaches were located in the middle of the train, which meant it would not be too close to the engine. In many trains, the topmost class coach (e.g. AC First Class H1 coach) is located almost right next to the engine, after say one sitting coach, making it very noisy during the journey, with all the honking from the engine going on. There were approximately seven regular Chair car coaches on either side of the EC1&2 coaches.

There is a clear evolution in design of the coaches compared to the previous premium trains such as the Tejas express. The surfaces are finished better and the edges are well rounded, to make sure there are no sharp edges or protrusions that could potentially injure passengers when moving about. There is plenty of space on either end of the coach to store luggage, making sure there is a gap between the last row of seats and the back wall. The overhead luggage rack could however have been deeper and a little lower to allow for taller luggage to be stowed.





The Executive chair car seats are wide and well spaced out. As someone who is 6’ 2” tall, I found the room between my seat and the one ahead to be quite generous, even when the front seats was pushed back all the way. The seats have a good level of recline possible, I would say nearly 15 degrees or so. The seat cushion at the base is just right, being sufficiently firm for the long journey, while not being too hard. However, the seat back is rock hard!

There is a generously sized foot rest provided, which reclines at a 45 degree angle. It is really comfortable and makes all the difference to seating comfort when catching a snooze. There are generous seat back pockets where one can stow laptops, newspapers, etc.





In the middle of the cabin, there are two rows of seats facing each other, allowing families to be together. However, I am not sure how one would book these, as there were no options to select these seats while booking. Which brings me to my pet peeve about the IRCTC booking process, that it does not offer a seat map based seat/berth selection. Even bus booking sites offer this and it is high time IRCTC did this. I think the fundamental reason is that the underlying booking system of Indian railways is based on the 1980s computerised booking project, which was state of the art then but very dated now.

The train set off exactly on the dot. Because of the fact that the whole rake is powered electrically through motors at different points along the rake, the traditional feel of being pulled from the front as the train accelerates is completely absent. The acceleration is very smooth and linear, and the train is moving at a substantial speed before one realises it. The ride is very plush, with very few vertical bumps coming into the passenger compartment. I found the ride to be much more settled than the normal LHB coaches on super fast trains. Lateral movement is almost nil, for most part of the journey, which makes the journey much less tiring.

Currently, the Chennai-Bengaluru rail line is rated for a maximum speed of 110 kph. Successful trials have been completed about 2 weeks ago for the Chennai-Jolarpet section to run trains at 130 kph. However, final approvals have not come through and so the Vande Bharat was running most of the time at the current permitted speed of 110 kph. There is a section of the track near Ambur where the train substantially slowed down and proceeded at crawling speeds for about 10-15 minutes. Displays on board the train constantly show the current speed, just like bullet trains and other high speed trains in Japan/China etc.

The toilets on the train are spacious and the latches and bolts have smooth edges and movements. This is the one thing I always worry about train toilets, getting my hands injured trying to slide or force stiff and sharp latches. The maintenance of the Vande Bharat toilets is impeccable, and I could see them getting cleaned even midway through the 4 hour journey. The flushes are soft touch and electronically controlled. One flushed, a vacuum mechanisms makes sure the water usage is optimised and the bowl is fully cleaned out.




Quite a lot of food is served on the train, starting with biscuits and tea about 15 minutes into the journey. Tea and coffee severed on board is based on a 3-in-1 premix powder made by Chayzup, which contains the beverage powder, milk powder and sugar. Hot water is poured in to make the beverage. The masala tea is very good and the coffee is ok.

Soon after, corn flakes and warm milk is served in actual ceramic bowls and spoons. This is amazing, as even in western countries, plastic bowls are the standard for train service. The bowl as actually heavy and well made. Only on business class international flights have I seen this type of cutlery being used.

The train reached the only intermediate stop, Kapadi, in around 95 minutes. After Katpadi, a full breakfast was served, consisting of soft idlis, a vada and rava Kesari, accompanied by apple juice, a cookie and coffee. The food is if a much higher standard than what one generally gets in Shatabdi, Tejas and other similar trains. The service is very efficient and plates are cleared very soon after people finished breakfast. A banana or apple is offered as a final item of breakfast.



The train pulled into Bangalore city junction (Now called KSR Bengaluru) before the scheduled arrival time of 10.15 AM. I am sure that in the coming months, the journey will get even faster and one could probably expect to be in Bengaluru before 10 AM!



All in all, the journey to Bengaluru was very comfortable and quick, and I would prefer this to flying any day.

[Fx14]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

In the middle of the cabin, there are two rows of seats facing each other, allowing families to be together. However, I am not sure how one would book these, as there were no options to select these seats while booking. Which brings me to my pet peeve about the IRCTC booking process, that it does not offer a seat map based seat/berth selection. Even bus booking sites offer this and it is high time IRCTC did this.

This used to be my view too. In fact, in the Shatabdi coaches these centre seats which faced each other also had the benefit of a fixed table between the two rows of facing seats besides the additional leg room as a result of this layout.

However after researching a bit, got to know that the seat allocation is done automatically basis certain algorithms to ensure safety of the coach at high speeds w.r.t. ensuring that the centre of gravity for the coach is maintained at all times basis the expected occupancy levels. Imagine a scenario where if permitted, a big group of people book all seats towards one end of a coach rendering it very heavy with their accompanying luggage and the other end of the coach is empty and then hurtling at high speed.

As an aside, recollect it being highlighted that the seats in the Executive Class coaches of the Vande Bharat can be rotated to face each other as well. Did you check with the staff?

[Turbanator]

^^
All Seats in executive coaches can rotate 180 degrees by pressing a lever.

One annoying feature is the automated door sensor, it’s too sensitive and the door keeps on opening/ closing on its own even if someone is far and it takes time to close. Hope they can instead use a push button type door close system in future as it’s a big problem for persons sitting next to the doors.

[Altrozed]

All AC chair cars have center table at the center of the coach. This is to have forward looking chairs in every journey. Some people cannot sit in chairs if the trains in their opposite view. This practice is there since decades and we cannot book those.
Only coach preference is there, not seat.

Why irctc cannot implement it easily is that we have different sets of AC chairs and cannot be incorporated easily into the system. ICF AC chair chars, LHB Chair Cars, DD chairs, Uday Chair cars, Tejas and whole lot.

Regarding 130kmph is yet to be implemented and will take a lot of time. The only VB doing 130s in South is SC VSKP VB which does 130 for 90% of travel.
Almost all doubled and electrified lines of SCR are capable of 130 kmph now.

[pandey.jai]

Originally Posted by Fx14

However after researching a bit, got to know that the seat allocation is done automatically basis certain algorithms to ensure safety of the coach at high speeds w.r.t. ensuring that the centre of gravity for the coach is maintained at all times basis the expected occupancy levels.

This is very interesting. There are so many variables which I don’t think IRCTC will know beforehand. I tried to search around, but I couldn’t find any details. Can you please share a link or some more details for this?

[ruzbehxyz]

Details of the Vande Bharat 2.0 (VB2) trains launched on 30th Sep. 2022.





1. The VB2 trains can accelerate to a speed of 100 km/h in 52 seconds, 2.6 seconds faster than the previous version. It can achieve a top speed of 160 kmph, and it takes 129 seconds to reach this speed from a standstill.

2. VB2 is also lighter, weighing 392 tonnes compared to 430 tonnes for the previous version.

3. The air conditioning system on the VB2 utilises 15% less energy than the previous system.

4. VB2 also has automatic plug doors, sliding doors that don't need to be touched, emergency communication units, accessible toilets, a bigger driver's cabin, and seats in all coaches that can be leaned back. To address the seat reclining issues of the previous version, the new chairs were equipped with a push-back arrangement for smooth reclining.

5. The VB2 utilizes the KAVACH (Train Collision Avoidance System) for improved operational safety. Also, there are four emergency windows on every coach of the Vande Bharat train. Furthermore, it gets four platform side cameras, including rearview cameras outside the coach, instead of two earlier.

6. The VB2 be able to withstand floods of up to 650 mm in height, in comparison to the 400 mm earlier.

Source: https://zeenews.india.com/railways/p...16108.html/amp

[Fx14]

Originally Posted by pandey.jai

This is very interesting. There are so many variables which I don’t think IRCTC will know beforehand. I tried to search around, but I couldn’t find any details. Can you please share a link or some more details for this?

Try searching for :
Why IRCTC Does Not Allow To Choose Seats In Train – Railway Seat Allocation Algorithm.

Appending a couple of links from a search just given, which give you a gist :

https://m.economictimes.com/infrastr...w/55686178.cms

https://www.postoast.com/irctc-seat-...tion-algorithm

[QuentinTino]

Some Cabinet ministers in the current Govt. are just Spot-On!
Nitin Gadkari for Roat Transport and Highways, S Jaishankar for External Affairs and now Ashwini Vaishnaw for Railways!
I was positively amazed to see our current Railway Minister’s educational and work profile.
No wonder these respective Departments are making the much needed strides in progress!

(PS- Not a politically motivated post, just a sincere observation)

[UD17]

Originally Posted by pandey.jai

This is very interesting. There are so many variables which I don’t think IRCTC will know beforehand. I tried to search around, but I couldn’t find any details. Can you please share a link or some more details for this?

One of my distant yet close family member works in railways. I too discussed with him regarding the booking algorithm for seat allocation. His wisdom: ''He disapproved the theory of center of gravity and informed that the allocation is purely done on random basis. The speed vs turning radiuses of Indian railways is such that, even if last coach is empty, it will not have any impact on stability''.

But if any links are available, then i can pass it on to him so that we have an informed knowledge.

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by pandey.jai

This is very interesting. There are so many variables which I don’t think IRCTC will know beforehand. I tried to search around, but I couldn’t find any details. Can you please share a link or some more details for this?

Originally Posted by UD17

But if any links are available, then i can pass it on to him so that we have an informed knowledge.

Just curious, will an RTI give this information? Or can this be turned down citing classified information because of IPR?

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by Fx14

However after researching a bit, got to know that the seat allocation is done automatically basis certain algorithms to ensure safety of the coach at high speeds w.r.t. ensuring that the centre of gravity for the coach is maintained at all times basis the expected occupancy levels. Imagine a scenario where if permitted, a big group of people book all seats towards one end of a coach rendering it very heavy with their accompanying luggage and the other end of the coach is empty and then hurtling at high speed.

Don't think this can be the case. There are 100's of passenger/MEMU trains running where there is no reservation system at all. Even in reserved trains, beyond a point or in specific sections, people cram in everywhere. There is no control over the occupancy in such cases.

I think it is more to do with the fact that the underlying reservation system is many many years old and making major changes to it may be too risky. I don't think any other reservation system in India has to handle the volume that IRCTC has to do on a daily basis. It works well enough and so maybe the thought is 'Don't attempt to fix something that is not broken'

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Don't think this can be the case. There are 100's of passenger/MEMU trains running where there is no reservation system at all. Even in reserved trains, beyond a point or in specific sections, people cram in everywhere. There is no control over the occupancy in such cases.

I think it is more to do with the fact that the underlying reservation system is many many years old and making major changes to it may be too risky. I don't think any other reservation system in India has to handle the volume that IRCTC has to do on a daily basis. It works well enough and so maybe the thought is 'Don't attempt to fix something that is not broken'

Completely agree. The weight of an ICF coach is 60 tonnes. With 72 passengers on board, the weight of the passengers collectively will be about 5 tonnes. So we are speaking of 8% passenger weight compared to coach weight. Worst case, you have 36 passengers on choosing one side and 0 passengers choosing the other side, adding 4% additional weight on one side. This small a ratio is not going to make a difference in the dynamics or accident behavior of the coach, whether they are on one side or the other.

[casnov]

Originally Posted by Fx14

However after researching a bit, got to know that the seat allocation is done automatically basis certain algorithms to ensure safety of the coach at high speeds w.r.t. ensuring that the centre of gravity for the coach is maintained at all times basis the expected occupancy levels. Imagine a scenario where if permitted, a big group of people book all seats towards one end of a coach rendering it very heavy with their accompanying luggage and the other end of the coach is empty and then hurtling at high speed.

This is a HOAX which was doing rounds on Quora and Whatsapp.

Originally Posted by Fx14

https://m.economictimes.com/infrastr...w/55686178.cms

https://www.postoast.com/irctc-seat-...tion-algorithm

Its really shameful for a paper like Economic times to publish such a hoax and just to give them some deniability elbow room they have mentioned its via Quora.

Attachment 2420948


Following are the places where this has been debunked.

https://www.thenewsminute.com/articl...-rubbish-43972


https://news.abplive.com/news/india/...-trains-348357

[GeeTee TSI]

I had my Bangalore Chennai Vande Bharat ride a few weeks ago, sharing a few pictures here

High quality, massive window blinds - make sure you ask the adjacent passenger before moving it


Nice reading lights which work and are effective, although they have never dimmed or turned off the overhead cabin lights for this to be used


Double glazed windows ensure a quiet ride, which I can vouch for after a near back to back trip in the Shatabdi for comparison. There is significantly less pitch/roll too, overall ride quality and NVH feels like a D segment+ car


The regular (CC) class has a 2+1 layout, narrow armrest and you need to 'share' the sole middle one with your co-passenger. If that bugs you then EC class is the way to go, otherwise seats in the CC are quite well sized



Phenomenal leg room for my 180 cm frame, this is where fast premium trains can trump LCCs


One long uninterrupted luggage shelf can easily take large (check in sized) bags longitudinally, the extra large (overseas spec) bag probably needs to have a transverse layout
Since there are no partitions, one can make incremental shifts to a long line of bags to magically get a snug fit for one's own. That said, I think the luggage shelf atop the 3 seater section can be wider for increased capacity
Unlike the Vistadome coaches, there is really no luggage restriction in this, cabin (trolley) bags can nestle behind ones legs under the seat as well, at a pinch



Roof cladding and ducts (finally) look world class


I happened to get the emergency row and there was this console staring at me


A step change from how we perceive our train travel, much like how we felt travelling in the first Volvo B7R back in the day; coming from AL and TML buses.