AGRA (Metro Rail News): The Gatimaan Express and two Vande Bharat trains are likely to return to their original top speed of 160 km/h between Delhi and Agra once the Kavach automatic train protection system completes pending work and safety trials, Agra Division Railway Manager Gagan Goyal said on Tuesday. The trains are currently capped at 130 km/h.
“Trains are currently running at a maximum speed of 130 kmph. As far as the question of increasing the speed of trains to 160 kmph between Agra and Delhi, the process is to first conduct the trials and then make any decisions. Kavach ATP system has been installed on the track for enhanced safety,” Goyal told The Times of India.
“Trials are underway after Kavach installation by Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO). As RDSO trials give us a green light, we will work to increase speed of these trains back to 160 kmph between Delhi-Agra section,” he added.
Trains Running at 130 km/h
| Train numbers | Service | Earlier top speed |
| 12049 / 12050 | Gatimaan Express | 160 km/h |
| 20171 / 20172 | Vande Bharat Express | 160 km/h |
| 22469 / 22470 | Vande Bharat Express | 160 km/h |
| 12001 / 12002 | New Delhi-Rani Kamalapati Shatabdi Express | 150 km/h |
Why the Speeds Were Cut
The Railway Board reduced speeds on the corridor from 160 km/h to 130 km/h after the Kanchanjunga Express accident in West Bengal, and made the cap stay until Kavach became operational. The Delhi Division has since proposed to Northern Railway headquarters that the Gatimaan and the two Vande Bharat trains be restored to 160 km/h, and the Shatabdi to 150 km/h, after trials on the Hazrat Nizamuddin-Palwal section. No formal order has been issued yet.
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Kavach is an indigenously developed train protection system certified to Safety Integrity Level 4 (SIL-4). The Gatimaan Express, India’s first 160 km/h train, was launched in April 2016 between Hazrat Nizamuddin and Agra Cantt and covers the distance in about 100 minutes.
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