[sarathlal]

Indian Railways has indigenously manufactured the new WAP-7HS locomotive that has achieved speeds of 180 kmph during its trials in the Kota division.

• Completely designed and developed indigenously by CLW (Indian Railways’ Chittaranjan Locomotive Works).
• WAP-7HS 30750 GZB shed semi-high speed locomotive can pull a 24-coach train passenger train at a speed of 160 kmph, as against the existing maximum speed of 140 kmph for a WAP-7 series locomotive.
• Indian Railways hopes to use these new series of indigenous WAP-7HS locomotives for Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto Express category of premium trains.
• From simulation and modelling to weight reduction, everything was done in-house by the locomotive manufacturing unit of the Indian Railways.
• Weight of this new WAP-7 series of locomotive was reduced by about 14 tonnes.
• The gear ratio was changed from 3.6 (72:20) to 3.2 (70:22).

The new WAP-7 HS locomotive is undergoing extensive trials before it can be put to service in Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto Express trains.

Read more at Financial Express

[tharian]

Wondering why they cannot use the new aerodynamic bodyshell of the WAP5. That would have added to the speed and reduced the effort.

[abhishek46]

I am not an expert in locomotive design, however, all this news and effort for just 20Kmph increase of top speed?

Am I missing something.

I may sound a bit like JClarkson, but, to put it simply, the locos need more power and the coaches need to go on a diet.

[MadiMaama]

An increase of 20kmph in MPS may not seem like much, but this will mean that initial acceleration will be quicker due to reduction in weight and thus sectional clearance will also be faster. This will be a boon on sections where automatic block signalling is used. With the top speed now being 160, with infrastructure changes, fully AC LHB trains can hit 160 consistently and thus lead to reduction in time

[saisree]

Indigenously built With the successful run of Train-18 and this, Indian Railways is going to have great time ahead.

Video of the trial run of WAP-7HS. Does an consistent 175+ Kmh speeds. Can attain an average speed of 160 KMPH when coupled with 21 coaches.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcBJl3E_1Sc

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by abhishek46

I am not an expert in locomotive design, however, all this news and effort for just 20Kmph increase of top speed?

I don't think it was a huge effort to have higher expectations. From what I read, they reduced weight, changed gearing and did some changes to the software and so on. Compared to this, what is a real effort is Train 18 since that was built fresh from scratch. Hence it is a completely different beast.
This version of the WAP7 is a logically perfect upgrade to the earlier one. What has changed is a decreased tractive effort due to the reduction in weight and change in gearing which directly leads to the higher top speed. I think this initiative is to help use these locos in push pull operation. The lesser TE will not be a problem and two locos will give superb acceleration as well as a higher top speed. This loco can be used for 24 coach SG trains in push pull mode. Perhaps for 18 coach rajdhanis which are not self powered the WAP5 is sufficient enough.
What puzzles me is that speedometer they use. Right from the oldest locos to even T18, the design is more or lees the same. Why is this so?

[MadiMaama]

Originally Posted by audioholic

What puzzles me is that speedometer they use. Right from the oldest locos to even T18, the design is more or lees the same. Why is this so?

This model is seen only in E locos. The WDP 4D locos use digital screens as speedometer display

[RedRaider]

https://rdso.indianrailways.gov.in/w...AP7%20loco.pdf

Please refer to the above link for the details regarding the WAP7 - HS loco. All the details regarding the modifications and other parameters are mentioned there under.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by MadiMaama

This model is seen only in E locos. The WDP 4D locos use digital screens as speedometer display

Even in this electric loco there is a digital cluster. However the analogue meter is still used. Regarding the WDP4D you're right, I noticed the absence of the meter just recently. But the older locos still have it.

[NaXal]

Originally Posted by abhishek46

I am not an expert in locomotive design, however, all this news and effort for just 20Kmph increase of top speed?

This was the plan from the beginning. Indian railways procurement process planned for 200+ with purchase or technology transfer of WAP5 or WAP7.

WAP5 is capable of doing 220+ but for Indian tracks, the speed was limited to 180 with sustainable operating top speed of 160.

So are the LHB coaches. They are designed for 200kmph speed but once again speeds are down due to track condition & previous construction.

IR started to upgrade their tracks ever since procurement & production of WAP5/7 & LHB to meet these higher speed standards. Section by section work was & still is in progress.

Producing the higher speed locomotive for few sections didn't make sense but as time progressed & IR started to have enough sections, now the time has come to start investing for bumping up the speed.

Mind you, for longer routes, 20kmph bump may reduce the travel time considerably.

Yes sure, till now the entire stretches may not be allowing such high sustainable top speed but as more & more sections are upgraded, travel time will start to see good improvement.

Thanks.

[AirbusCapt]

Railways are interested in maximum continuous speeds at loads (say hauling 24 passenger coaches) and, on acceleration times to achieve that speed. The figure of 180kmph or 200 kmph means nothing singularly. Taken in conjunction with the above parameters, it makes sense.
If the locomotive can mantain an average speed of 120kmph for express trains, the time taken for a journey would halve when compared with today's 60/70 kmph. Once a 500kmph journey by train takes only 4/5 hours, the railways will destroy air travel for short legs less than one hour.