Based on the belly freight concept, Indian Railways is developing a series of cargo liners that would be the first in the nation. The upper deck of these double-decker trains will include executive seats for passengers, and the lower deck will have space for freight storage. Work is already in progress to prepare the first several trains for trials.
Also under construction are new freight wagon prototypes — tentatively called Vande Cargo — that include higher loading capacities, better speed of up to 160 kmph and improved designs for better and faster cargo movement. Most of these new freighters will be built on the Vande Bharat platform, and will also have the option of being customised as per client requirements.
According to one of the authorities, the cargo liners were created by the Kapurthala-based Rail Coach Factory and were pending approval. However, now that the designs have been approved, work has started on building prototypes for trial runs, after which, according to the original plans, two trains with 16–20 coaches might be introduced on a few lines.
The upper deck of these freight vessels will accommodate 46 passengers. In addition, it has features like video surveillance and smoke detection, and it can even hold pantry automobiles. Cargo loading will take place on the lower deck, which can hold up to 6 tonnes of cargo mass and 47 cubic meters of cargo volume.
RCF Kapurthala had envisioned a number of permutations of these double-decker trains, including ones with more seats and different kinds of freight. According to another authority, the 46-person, 6-ton, 47-cubic-meter design was accepted. Trains with racking room for packages, a passenger-container loading combination, and other designs were among the others that were showcased.
With a present wagon holding capacity estimated at 3,97,000 for FY24, the Railways plans to install at least 20,000 wagons (freighters) annually on average. It added more than 37,600 wagons in FY24.
In FY24, railway freight traffic increased 5% year over year to 1,591 million tonnes (mt), with the national transporter contributing 28% of the nation’s overall cargo volumes.
The official claims that the main advantages of these new freighters are being promoted as being quicker deliveries and lower carbon emissions.
