PM Modi flags off 9 new Vande Bharat Express trains, says focus on ‘ease of travel’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday flagged off nine new Vande Bharat Express trains via video conferencing, taking the total number of semi-high-speed trains to 34. The prime minister said the Vande Bharat Express trains being launched today will significantly improve connectivity as well as boost tourism across India. He said the government is focussing on multi-modal connectivity and ease of travel to ensure that time in commuting is minimized.
“This infrastructural development has matched the aspirations of 140 crore Indians and this is what the country wants now,” the PM Modi said.
The Vande Bharat trains will enhance the connectivity of religious places across 11 states.
“The introduction of these Vande Bharat trains will herald a new standard of rail service in the country. These trains, equipped with world-class amenities and advanced safety features, including Kavach technology, will be a key step towards providing modern, speedy and comfortable means of travel to common people, professionals, businessmen, student community and tourists,” the PM added.
The states that will benefit from the launch of Vande Bharat trains include Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, Odisha, Jharkhand and Gujarat, as confirmed by the PM office.
- Udaipur – Jaipur Vande Bharat Express – This Vande Bharat Express train will boost connectivity between Udaipur and Jaipur. It will be about 30 minutes faster than the fastest train that currently operates along the route. This will be the third Vande Bharat train in Rajasthan. The other two are Jodhpur- Sabarmati and Ajmer-Delhi Cantt Vande Bharat Express.
- Tirunelveli-Madurai- Chennai Vande Bharat Express – The Tirunelveli-Madurai- Chennai Vande Bharat Express train will connect the religious towns of Tirunelveli and Madurai with Chennai and provide faster travel for pilgrims. It is likely to reduce the travel time by over two hours. The train will leave from Tirunelveli Junction and reach Chennai with several stoppages including at Virudhunagar, Madurai, Dindigul, and Tiruchirappalli.
- Hyderabad – Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express – This Vande Bharat Express will run between Kacheguda in Hyderabad and Yeswantpur in Bengaluru with halts at Mahabubnagar, Kurnool, Anantapur, and Dharamvaram stations. The train will have one Executive Class and seven Chair Car coaches with a seating capacity of 530 passengers.
- Vijayawada – Chennai Vande Bharat Express – This is the second Vande Bharat Express train that will be flagged off in Chennai by PM Modi on Sunday. The train will take the Renigunta route, providing connectivity to the Tirupati Pilgrimage centre. It will operate between Vijayawada and Chennai passing through Tenali, Ongole, Nellore, and Renigunta in Andhra Pradesh.
- Patna – Howrah Vande Bharat Express – This new addition to the Vande Bharat fleet will connect Patna Junction in Bihar with Howrah in West Bengal. It will cover a distance of 532 km in 6 hours and 35 minutes. The train will have two-minute halts at Patna Saheb, Mokama, Luckeesarai Junction, Jasidih, Jamtara, Asansol, and Durgapur.
- Kasaragod – Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express – The Kasaragod – Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express will be the second Vande Bharat train of Kerala. It will reduce travel time by about three hours and cover 573 kms in seven hours and 55 minutes.
- Rourkela – Bhubaneswar – Puri Vande Bharat Express – This train will depart Puri, Odisha, at 5 am and reach Rourkela at 12:45 pm the same day. While returning, the train will leave Rourkela at 2 pm and reach Puri at 9 pm. It will have stoppages at Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Angul, Sambalpur City and Jharsuguda.
- Ranchi – Howrah Vande Bharat Express – The Ranchi – Howrah Vande Bharat Express train will run six days a week, except on Tuesday. It will be the fastest train to connect the capital cities of Jharkhand and West Bengal. It will leave Ranchi at 5:15 am and reach Howrah at 12: 20 pm. On its return journey, the train will depart from Howrah at 3:45 pm and reach Ranchibat 10:50 pm on the same day. It will have halts at Muri, Kotshila, Purulia, Chandil, Tatanagar, and Kharagpur.
- Jamnagar-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express – The Jamnagar-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express train will cover 331 km in 4 hours and 40 minutes with five halts. It will leave Jamnagar at 5:30 and reach Ahmedabad at 10:10 a.m. via Rajkot, Wankaner, Surendranagar, Viramgam, and Sabarmati.
The nine Vande Bharat Express trains, soon to join the ranks of Indian Railways’ semi-high-speed fleet, are poised to become the swiftest trains on their respective routes, offering passengers significant time savings during their journeys.
“In the last 9 years, PM Modi has extraordinarily transformed the Railway system. Today the railway stations are cleaner, with newer facilities,” Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said at the flagging-off ceremony.
[With Inputs from IANS]
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