Indian Railways is the backbone of the transportation system in India. The Indian Railways is evolving at a relatively slower pace than the road network and aviation industry. However, innovations like the Vande Bharat Express and RapidX (NaMo Bharat) trains have certainly opened doors for the department as far as speed is concerned. While the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train is still some time away, the Indian Railways will soon launch a new semi-high-speed train setup – Vande Sadharan Express or Amrit Bharat Express. More precisely, the train is expected to receive a green flag in December this year. Before you start muscling up your mind to figure out what it is, here’s all about it.
What Is Vande Sadharan Express?
The Vande Sadharan Express takes its inspiration from the fastest train in the country – Vande Bharat Express. However, the new semi-high-speed train will be very different from the Vande Bharat Express. It will be put to use on long intercity journeys with distances of more than 800 kilometres, unlike the Vande Bharat Express. Also, these trains will be used for day-night trips.
Vande Sadharan Express: Coaches
The Vande Sadharan Express will consist of 22 coaches and 2 locomotives. Unlike the Vande Bharat Express, this will be a push-pull setup. There will be 12 sleeper coaches and 8 coaches for unreserved class. In total, the Vande Sadharan train will be able to accommodate 1,800 passengers. Also, there will be 2 luggage bogies on this train.
Vande Sadharan Express: Engine & Speed
The train will boast a top speed of 130 kmph, but it is expected to top out at around 110 kmph, given the factors and hindrances on tracks. It will use two WAP-5 locomotives in a slightly modified form.
Vande Sadharan Express: Routes
As of now, there are two proposed routes for the Amrit Bharat Express or Vande Sadharan Express – Mumbai-Patna and Delhi-Mumbai. At a later stage, more routes will be added. The train is expected to run on the aforementioned routes as well, but sometime later – Patna-New Delhi, Howrah-New Delhi, Hyderabad-New Delhi, Ernakulam-Guwahati, Tambaram-Howrah, Delhi-Jodhpur-Bandra Terminus, and Jammu-Chennai.
Vande Sadharan Express: Facilities & Features
For starters, the Vande Sadharan Express will be a non-AC train. Interestingly, it will feature sealed gangways between coaches, CCTV cameras, sensor-based taps, electric outlets, bio-vacuum toilets, LED lights, modern switches, fans, and passenger information system. Furthermore, every seat will have mobile charging ports. On the contrary, it will skip out on automatic closing doors and onboard catering.