PM Modi to flag off three new Vande Bharat trains on August 31

The new Vande Bharat Express trains will significantly improve travel time and comfort on three major routes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to flag off three new Vande Bharat trains on August 31, 2024, via video conferencing. The new Vande Bharat Express trains will significantly improve travel time and comfort on three major routes.

Meerut City - Lucknow: This route will see a reduction in travel time by approximately 1 hour compared to the current fastest train, offering passengers a quicker journey between the two cities.

Chennai Egmore - Nagercoil: The new service will cut down the travel time by over 2 hours, providing a faster and more efficient option for passengers.

Madurai - Bengaluru: Passengers will benefit from a journey time reduction of around 1 hour 30 minutes on this route.

These Vande Bharat trains are designed to deliver an efficient travel experience with enhanced speed and comfort.

This initiative is part of the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Make in India’ and Aatmanirbhar Bharat to enhance rail connectivity with state-of-the-art trains.

The Vande Bharat Express trains are a flagship initiative by the Indian government to promote indigenous manufacturing and modernise the railway infrastructure.

The first Vande Bharat Express was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 15, 2019.

Vande Bharat is a semi-high-speed train with 16 self-propelled coaches — they do not require an engine. This is called a distributed traction power system, which is increasingly becoming the norm the world over for passenger operations. Distributed power enables higher acceleration and deceleration compared to loco-hauled trains, which take much longer to reach the top speed or to gradually come to a halt.

These trains have improvements in terms of better seating, an anti-bacterial system in the air conditioning system, and the ability to hit 160 km/h in 140 seconds.