Tag Archives: Train 18

Today, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) e-ticketing service accounts for approximately 66 per cent of reserved rail tickets booked online. A total of 434 million passengers were booked through e-tickets on the IRCTC website in 2017-18, translating to around 132,500 tickets per day as compared to 40,752 tickets per day in 2016-17. Currently, the mobile app accounts for 20 per cent of the total rail tickets booked online in the country. There are several modernisation initiatives being implemented to improve rail travel in India, such as upgrading railway stations and signalling, expansion of the Wi-Fi facility, electrification of network, introduction of high-speed trains (like Train 18) and wider use of energy-efficient equipment, among others.  

The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) has unveiled India’s first engine-less, semi-high speed train in Chennai. Called ‘Train 18’, the special train will replace Shatabdi Express in the coming months after being inducted in the Indian Railways and undergoing mandatory safety checks. Flagging off the special train, Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani said Train 18 will be a game changer for the Indian Railways. The fully-air-conditioned 16-coach train can clock up to 160kmph compared to the 30-year old Shatabdi Express and can save travel time up to 15 per cent.