India’s first Vande Bharat freight train has entered the trial phase, hitting a top speed of 145 kmph during a test run in the Kota Division of West Central Railway zone. The new freight train is expected to make cargo movement faster and improve logistics across the Indian Railways network.
The national transporter has planned a month-long testing schedule for the train, which will be tested under different speed and operating conditions on the Kota-Nagda-Sawai Madhopur rail section. According to Saurabh Jain, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of Kota Division, this is the country’s first 16-coach Vande Bharat platform-based Freight EMU prototype rake, developed by the Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory.
The train aims to bring faster, time-bound, and modern parcel and logistics services to Indian Railways. The trial series officially began on July 29, 2026, with the special trial rake departing from Kota for Mahidpur Road at 6:00 am. It was tested at different speeds, including 120 kmph on the Kota-Mahidpur Road section and recorded speeds of 120 kmph and 135 kmph on the Mahidpur Road-Bhawani Mandi section.
During the return journey from Mahidpur Road to Kota, the rake achieved a maximum speed of 145 kmph, the highest speed recorded on the first day of trials. The successful trial was supported by uninterrupted green signals at stations along the route.
The Vande Bharat Freight EMU is a 16-coach rake comprising two DTC (reefer vans), two NDTC coaches, and 12 parcel coaches. The train features Vande Bharat bogies, has an axle load capacity of 20.32 tonnes, and offers a total payload capacity of 397.02 tonnes. It is equipped with refrigerated parcel facilities, forced ventilation, pneumatic retractable roller flooring, and advanced braking and propulsion systems similar to those in Vande Bharat trainsets.
Once commercial operations begin, this rake will play an important role in making freight transport considerably faster, safer, and more reliable than the traditional system.
