Budget 2023: Railways Plans to Launch Vande Metro After Highest Ever Fund Allocation at Rs 2.41 Lakh Cr

Ministry of Railways has announced plans to launch Vande Metro train service and is also hopeful of ramping up production of Vande Bharat trains as it gets a big boost from its highest fund allocation of Rs 2.41 lakh crore after Union Budget 2023 Hai-24 was announced on Wednesday.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said that there was lack of investment in railways over the years due to which the ministry was unable to achieve its potential. Talking to the media at Rail Bhawan, the minister said that Rs 2.41 lakh crore has been allocated to Railways for capital investment in the new budget to fulfill this.

Vande Metro Ahead

Vaishnav said to ease travel in and around big cities, where people go for work or leisure and return to their hometowns, the Railway Ministry is coming up with Vande Metro – the equivalent of Vande Bharat Express trains – a Shuttle like service to offer world class fast.

“The concept of Vande Metro – a fast, world-class shuttle-like experience for commuters – is underway. This year, production and design will be completed and next year, in 2024-25, we will scale up production.”

Speaking to News18, a ministry official said that these trains will be different and easier to operate than the rapid transit system. “It will be a smaller version of Vande Bharat with eight coaches, but will function like a metro train. Rapid transit system needs huge investment, but this mini Vande Metro can run on the existing track.

The ministry has entrusted the work of Vande Metro to the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai and the Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) in Lucknow.

More Vande Bharat Express Trains

According to Vaishnav, the ministry will expedite the supply chain and production of Vande Bharat Express trains.

He said, “All Vande Bharat trains will be manufactured by our own employees in our own factories and workshops… This year we will expand production to three new facilities – Sonepat in Haryana, Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh and Latur in Maharashtra.” ”

The minister further said that till now, one Vande Bharat train was being made per week, but “with the four factories simultaneously producing Vande Bharat, we will be able to make two or three new Vande Bharat trains by the end of the next financial year.” Will be able to. per week”.

He said that with increased production, the ministry would be able to fulfill Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of connecting every city with Vande Bharat trains.

On slow progress, Vaishnav said that when a new product is developed, it takes some time to stabilize and sort out day-to-day issues. “Now, the Vande Bharat train has been tested very thoroughly. If you look at how many kilometers it has run, eight trains have covered a distance equal to 52 times covering the circumference of the earth without any major trouble. Now we are very confident about the product.”

Hydrogen trains by December 2023

Vaishnav also said that the ministry will launch its first made-in-India hydrogen train by December 2023. India by our engineers. First the heritage circuit will be replaced and later it will be expanded.

More Circuit Trains, Mega Solar Plant

The minister said that about 85 percent of the rail network has been electrified. Now, to generate electricity in a green way, “we will develop ultra mega solar plants”, he said, adding that this would be another ‘green’ step by the ministry.

He said that the bullet train is making great progress and now with the change in the government, the political issues in Maharashtra have been resolved. He said that about five to six new circuit trains would also be introduced in the coming months.

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