"India's First Dedicated High-Speed Rail Test Track Nears Completion in Rajasthan"
RDSO (Research Design and Standards Organisation)
Indian Railways' sole R&D and standards body; certifies rolling stock and sets technical norms.
UIC-518/EN-14363
International Union of Railways and European standards for testing running behaviour and structural integrity of railway vehicles.
Indian Railways is the fourth-largest railway network in the world, with a track length of approximately 69,000 km. Despite this scale, India has historically lacked a dedicated facility to test rolling stock and track infrastructure at high speeds under controlled conditions. Train manufacturers and Indian Railways have had to rely on existing operational tracks for trials, which limits testing speed, disrupts regular services, and prevents systematic evaluation of new technologies.
The Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO), headquartered in Lucknow, is the sole research and development organisation of Indian Railways. It sets technical standards, approves new designs, and certifies rolling stock before induction. However, without a dedicated test track, RDSO's ability to certify trains to international standards was constrained. The absence of such infrastructure also slowed the adoption of foreign rolling stock technology, since overseas manufacturers had no domestic facility to validate their equipment under Indian operating conditions.
The push for a dedicated high-speed test track gained momentum alongside India's broader ambition to develop semi-high-speed and high-speed rail. The Vande Bharat trainset programme, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor, and the National Rail Plan (NRP), which targets a 'future-ready' railway system, all created an institutional need for a world-class testing facility on Indian soil.
The dedicated high-speed test track is a 59-km Broad Gauge (BG) facility located between Gudha and Thathana Mithri in the Nawa region of Jodhpur Division, Rajasthan, approximately 70 km from Jaipur. It falls under North Western Railway (NWR) and is being developed by RDSO at a project cost of Rs 967.07 crore. Phase 1 was sanctioned in December 2018 and Phase 2 in November 2021.
The track is not a single straight line. It is a composite facility with four distinct components:
1.A 23-km main line for straightforward high-speed runs.
2.A 13-km high-speed loop at Gudha for sustained speed testing.
3.A 3-km accelerated testing loop at Nawa for fatigue and stress testing.
4.A 20-km curve testing loop at Mithri for evaluating rolling stock behaviour on bends.
A 4.5-km twisted track for static testing of rolling stock has already been completed and commissioned. …
Consider the following statements:
I.Indian Railways has prepared a National Rail Plan (NRP) to create a 'future ready' railway system by 2028.
II.'Kavach' is an Automatic Train Protection system developed in collaboration with Germany.
III.'Kavach' system consists of RFID tags fitted on track in station section.
Which of the statements given above are not correct?
Consider the following statements regarding India's first dedicated high-speed railway test track:
1.It is being developed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO).
2.The facility is located in the Jodhpur Division of North Western Railway.
3.The total length of the Broad Gauge test track is 59 km.
4.Upon completion, India will be the first country with rolling stock testing facilities meeting UIC-518/EN-14363 standards.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Match the following components of India's first dedicated high-speed railway test track with their respective lengths:
Component — Length
A.Main line — 1. 3 km
B.High-speed loop at Gudha — 2. 20 km
C.Accelerated testing loop at Nawa — 3. 23 km
D.Curve testing loop at Mithri — 4. 13 km
Select the correct match:
Consider the following statements about the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO):
1.RDSO is the sole research and development organisation of Indian Railways.
2.The high-speed test track being developed by RDSO will allow testing of rolling stock at speeds up to 220 kmph.
3.RDSO's high-speed test track is located in the Bikaner Division of Rajasthan.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to India's first dedicated high-speed railway test track, consider the following statements:
1.The project was approved in a single phase sanctioned in 2018.
2.The facility includes a twisted track section for static testing of rolling stock.
3.The track infrastructure falls under the administrative jurisdiction of North Western Railway.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Assertion (A): India's first dedicated high-speed railway test track will make India the first country to possess comprehensive rolling stock testing facilities meeting UIC-518/EN-14363 standards.
Reason (R): The UIC-518/EN-14363 standards are set by the International Union of Railways and govern the testing of running behaviour and structural integrity of railway vehicles.
Which of the following is correct?
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