India’s first indigenous semi-high speed train – the Vande Bharat Express – has received an overwhelming response from rail passengers as well as the BJP-led government of India. Each Vande Bharat Express is inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself and now operates on 17 routes in India. Launched in 2018, the Vande Bharat Express will get three versions by February-March next year – Vande Chair Car, Vande Metro and Vande Sleepers, confirmed Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav. The announcement was made at the inauguration ceremony of the Dehradun-Delhi Vande Bharat Express.
These indigenous semi-high speed trains, which are being prepared to replace Shatabdi, Rajdhani and local trains, are being built at the Integrated Coach Factory in Chennai. In an interview with PTI, the Union minister also said that in the next three to four years, the Indian Railways will upgrade its tracks to support the Vande Bharat trains’ maximum speed of 160 kmph.
Vande Bharat Metro
Among the three upcoming formats of Vande Bharat Express trains, Vande Bharat Metro is the most popular mode of transport. Metro trains will be a form of semi-high speed urban transport that will be provided between cities with a distance of less than 100 km. The Vande Bharat Metro will, in essence, be a take on an urban rapid transport network like RAPIDEX, India’s first rapid rail transit system.
Recently, the Indian Railways approved the purchase of 238 Vande Bharat Metro trains to replace the existing suburban trains of the Mumbai local train network. These trains will provide onboard Wi-Fi and other modern amenities, making them the fastest and most modern mode of transport between urban centres.
Vande Bharat Express Chair Car
The next class of trains will be the Vande Bharat Chair Car, which is essentially similar to the Vande Bharat Express currently operating in the country. These trains will be available for a distance of 100-550 kilometers strategically connecting cities between the two states. Currently, there are 17 Vande Bharat Express trains operating in India, all of which offer chair car configuration.
These trains are covering cities 500-700 km apart, covering a journey of between 6-8 hours. The Vande Bharat Chair Car train will be further expanded on several routes, eventually replacing the Shatabdi Express in India. Vaishnav said, “Every eighth or ninth day, a new train rolls out from the factory. Work is going to start in two more factories. We will roll out a new train from these factories once the supply chain stabilizes.”
Vande Bharat Express Sleeper
The Vande Bharat Express sleeper trains will be designated to travel over 550 kms mostly covering overnight routes to reach important cities. These trains are expected to replace Rajdhani Express trains and will provide sleeper berths to passengers for long distance travel.
Dehradun-Delhi Vande Bharat Express
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Delhi-Dehradun Vande Bharat Express, which will run from Dehradun in Uttarakhand to Anand Vihar Terminal railway station in Delhi. Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for passengers, the first such train for Uttarakhand will reduce the travel time between state capital Dehradun and the national capital from six hours and 10 minutes to four and a half hours. Delhi Railway Station Shatabdi Express.
Vande Bharat Express 2.0
Vande Bharat trains are designed with a top speed of 160 kmph, but will run at a speed of 130 kmph depending on the track capacity. “The old tracks were designed to support speeds between 70 and 80 kmph. About 25,000-35,000 kms of track to support speeds of 110 kmph, 130 kmph and 160 kmph The upgrade is being done. It will be done in the next three to four years.” Vaishnav said.
Vaishnav said that the railways is working on fencing along the tracks to prevent movement of cattle by trains. “Very unique design has been developed for fencing. The height is about five feet and it has two horizontal barriers. It has been installed between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, about 250 kms, and since that time zero-cattle The accident has happened. It has been established. We are working on all the factors for high-speed trains,” he said.