PM Narendra Modi gives India its first semi high speed train 'Vande Bharat'

Train 18 is India’s first engineless train and had, recently, hit speeds of over 180 kmph during a trial run on a section of the Delhi-Rajdhani route.

Saima Siddiqui
Published on: 15 Feb 2019 7:38 AM GMT
PM Narendra Modi gives India its first semi high speed train Vande Bharat
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PM Narendra Modi gives India its first semi high speed train 'Vande Bharat'

New Delhi:Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday, flagged-off the much awaited train, 'Vande Bharat Express' or 'Train 18', built under ‘Make in India’ initiative. It is India's first semi-high speed train.

The PM tweeted about the inauguration ceremony:

Train 18 is India’s first engineless train and had, recently, hit speeds of over 180 kmph during a trial run on a section of the Delhi-Rajdhani route.

Features that make it special:

-It can run up to a maximum speed of 160 kmph, however, due to speed restrictions on the route it can hit a maximum speed of 130 kmph.

- It has 16 air-conditioned coaches of which two are executive class.

-The total seating capacity is 1,128 passengers.

-In Train 18, all the electric equipment has been shifted below the coaches which has made more room for passengers than in the Shatabdi.

-All coaches are equipped with automatic doors, GPS-based audio-visual passenger information system, on-board hotspot WiFi for entertainment purposes.

-All toilets are bio-vacuum type. The lighting is dual mode, that is diffused for general illumination and personal for every seat.

-Every coach has a pantry facility to serve hot meals and, hot and cold beverages. The insulation is meant to keep heat and noise to very low levels for additional passenger comfort.

-Adding up the green footprints, the train has regenerative braking system which can save up to 30 per cent of electrical energy.

Tickets Cost:

The fare tickets for this lightening speed train have been out and the train has two classes of tickets — executive class and chair car — and both will have differently priced meals, the sources said.

The air conditioned chair car ticket for a Delhi to Varanasi trip, including the catering service charges would cost Rs. 1,850, while, the executive class fare will be Rs. 3,520, according to officials.

On its return journey, the chair car ticket will cost Rs. 1,795 and the executive car ticket will be priced at Rs. 3,470, the official further said.

The chair car fares, however, are 1.5 times the price of Shatabdi trains running the same distance, the executive class fares are 1.4 times of first class air conditioned seating in the premium train.

Passengers travelling from New Delhi to Varanasi in the executive class will be charged Rs. 399 for morning tea, breakfast and lunch, travelers in the chair car will need to pay Rs. 344 for the same.

Those travelling from New Delhi to Kanpur and Prayagraj will have to pay Rs. 155 and Rs. 122 for executive class and chair car, respectively.

From Varanasi to New Delhi, the passengers will be charged Rs. 349 and Rs. 288 in the executive class and chair, respectively.

Saima Siddiqui

Saima Siddiqui

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