Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked a significant moment in India’s railway history by flagging off 9 new Vande Bharat Express trains today. These new additions are set to bolster connectivity, particularly among religious and tourist destinations, spanning across 11 states. The states benefiting from this enhanced connectivity include Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Gujarat.
Virtual Inauguration:
The inauguration ceremony, conducted via video conferencing, showcased the Prime Minister’s commitment to advancing India’s rail network. Among the standout features of these new Vande Bharat Express trains is their distinctive orange livery. Adding to their advanced safety features is the ‘Kavach’ anti-collision system.
Routes and Accelerated Speed:
These new Vande Bharat Express trains will operate along key routes, transforming rail travel across India:
- Udaipur-Jaipur
- Tirunelveli-Madurai-Chennai
- Hyderabad-Bengaluru
- Vijayawada-Chennai
- Patna-Howrah
- Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram
- Rourkela-Bhubaneswar-Puri
- Ranchi-Howrah
- Jamnagar-Ahmedabad
These trains are poised to be the fastest on their respective routes, resulting in a substantial reduction in travel time for passengers.
Design and Innovations:
The new series of Vande Bharat trains boasts a fresh design with a distinctive ‘Make in India’ logo featuring a leaping lion enclosed within an orange circle, departing from the blue and white color scheme of the previous series. Notably, these trains feature 25 modifications, promising a vastly improved travel experience.
Travel Time Reduction:
Compared to the existing fastest trains on various routes, these new Vande Bharat Express trains will offer remarkable time savings, making rail travel more efficient and convenient:
- Rourkela-Bhubaneswar-Puri: Current Fastest Train Duration – 6 hours, New Vande Bharat Train Duration – 3 hours, Time Saved – 3 hours
- Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram: Current Fastest Train Duration – 6 hours, New Vande Bharat Train Duration – 3 hours, Time Saved – 3 hours
- Hyderabad-Bengaluru: Current Fastest Train Duration – 5 hours, New Vande Bharat Train Duration – 2.5 hours, Time Saved – 2.5 hours
- Tirunelveli-Madurai-Chennai: Current Fastest Train Duration – 6 hours, New Vande Bharat Train Duration – 4 hours, Time Saved – 2 hours
- Ranchi-Howrah: Current Fastest Train Duration – 4 hours, New Vande Bharat Train Duration – 3 hours, Time Saved – 1 hour
- Patna-Howrah: Current Fastest Train Duration – 4 hours, New Vande Bharat Train Duration – 3 hours, Time Saved – 1 hour
- Jamnagar-Ahmedabad: Current Fastest Train Duration – 4 hours, New Vande Bharat Train Duration – 3 hours, Time Saved – 1 hour
- Udaipur-Jaipur: Current Fastest Train Duration – 2 hours, New Vande Bharat Train Duration – 1.5 hours, Time Saved – 0.5 hours
These reductions in travel time are set to revolutionize rail travel, providing passengers with faster, more efficient journeys.
Stay tuned for further updates on these exciting developments in India’s rail network.
