Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off 9 new Vande Bharat Express trains today, enhancing connectivity among religious and tourist destinations across 11 states including Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Gujarat.
Virtual Inauguration
The Prime Minister participated in the inauguration ceremony via video conferencing. The new trains are equipped with an anti-collision system named ‘Kavach’. A notable feature of the new Vande Bharat Express trains is their orange color.
Routes and Speed
The new Vande Bharat trains will operate between Udaipur-Jaipur, Tirunelveli-Madurai-Chennai, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Vijayawada-Chennai, Patna-Howrah, Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram, Rourkela-Bhubaneswar-Puri, Ranchi-Howrah, and Jamnagar-Ahmedabad. These trains are a step towards improving nationwide connectivity and providing world-class facilities to rail passengers, aligning with the Prime Minister’s vision. They will be the fastest on their respective routes, significantly reducing travel time for passengers.
Design and Innovations
The new series of Vande Bharat trains have a distinct design on their nose. Unlike the blue and white color of the previous series, a ‘Make in India’ logo with a leaping lion is embedded within an orange circle. Additionally, 25 modifications have been made to these trains. Compared to the current fastest trains, travel time will be reduced by nearly 3 hours on the Rourkela-Bhubaneswar-Puri and Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram routes, over 2.5 hours on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru route, over 2 hours on the Tirunelveli-Madurai-Chennai route, and about 1 hour on the Ranchi-Howrah, Patna-Howrah, and Jamnagar-Ahmedabad routes. Travel time between Udaipur and Jaipur will be cut down by nearly half an hour.
Travel Time Reduction
| Route | Current Fastest Train Duration | New Vande Bharat Train Duration | Time Saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rourkela-Bhubaneswar-Puri | 6 hours | 3 hours | 3 hours |
| Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram | 6 hours | 3 hours | 3 hours |
| Hyderabad-Bengaluru | 5 hours | 2.5 hours | 2.5 hours |
| Tirunelveli-Madurai-Chennai | 6 hours | 4 hours | 2 hours |
| Ranchi-Howrah | 4 hours | 3 hours | 1 hour |
| Patna-Howrah | 4 hours | 3 hours | 1 hour |
| Jamnagar-Ahmedabad | 4 hours | 3 hours | 1 hour |
| Udaipur-Jaipur | 2 hours | 1.5 hours | 0.5 hours |
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