New Delhi, Sept 24: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated nine Vande Bharat trains spanning 11 states in a virtual ceremony at 12:30 PM on Sunday. The initiative follows the prime minister’s recent unveiling of an international cricket stadium in Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency.
Here are the details of the nine Vande Bharat trains:
- Udaipur-Jaipur Vande Bharat Express
- Tirunelveli-Madurai-Chennai Vande Bharat Express
- Hyderabad-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express
- Vijayawada-Chennai (via Renigunta) Vande Bharat Express
- Patna-Howrah Vande Bharat Express
- Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express
- Rourkela-Bhubaneswar-Puri Vande Bharat Express
- Ranchi-Howrah Vande Bharat Express
- Jamnagar-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express
These nine trains will traverse 11 states: Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Gujarat.
Improving Connectivity to Religious Destinations
The introduction of the Vande Bharat trains is expected to enhance connectivity to key religious destinations across India. For instance, two Vande Bharat routes, Rourkela-Bhubaneswar-Puri and Tirunelveli-Madurai-Chennai, will connect the holy cities of Puri and Madurai, respectively.
The Vijayawada-Chennai Vande Bharat Express, operating via the Renigunta route, will facilitate pilgrimages to Tirupati, a renowned spiritual center.
Advanced Amenities and Safety Features
The Vande Bharat trains boast world-class amenities and advanced safety features, including Kavach technology. This technology enables automatic brake application to control the train’s speed in the event of a failure by the locomotive pilot.
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According to the government, the Vande Bharat trains will be the fastest on their respective routes, significantly reducing travel time for passengers. In comparison to the current fastest trains on these routes, the Vande Bharat Express trains will be:
- Rourkela-Bhubaneswar-Puri Vande Bharat Express and Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express will be around three hours faster.
- Hyderabad-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express will be over two and a half hours faster.
- Tirunelveli-Madurai-Chennai Vande Bharat Express will be over two hours faster.
- Ranchi-Howrah Vande Bharat Express, Patna-Howrah Vande Bharat Express, and Jamnagar-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express will be approximately one hour faster.
- Udaipur-Jaipur Vande Bharat Express will be approximately half an hour faster.
This initiative aims to enhance connectivity, reduce travel time, and improve the overall travel experience for passengers traveling to various destinations across India.
