Home > Everything you need to know about Vande Bharat Express
- VBee
- December 5, 2022
- 1:12 pm
Taking statistics, Indian Railways is the fourth largest railway network globally. Comprising around 22,593 trains (including 13,452 passengers), the Indian Railway carries about 22.1 million daily passengers. We have all kinds of trains in India: Express, Superfast, Local, Freight, etc.
In 2018, Indian Railway added another venture to its list- Train 18. Presently, Train 18 has been renamed Vande Bharat Express. And in this blog, we will discuss everything about Vande Bharat Express and its significance for the country.
We at Venuezz keep you updated about the trends in the hospitality and tourism sector. With our expert team, we feature notable brands in their respective fields across India.
What is Vande Bharat Express?
Launched in 2018 as Train 18, currently known as Vande Bharat Express, it is a semi-high-speed and electric multiple-unit train. As of November 2022, Vande Bharat Express covers the five major routes in the country.
History
The Indian Railways have always wanted to enhance their speed meter since the introduction of the Gatimaan express in 2016. You will be amazed to know that Gatimaan Express is still the fastest train in India. Following the directions, in 2017, two train sets were announced to be manufactured in ICF. ICF stands for Integral Coach Factory, which manufactures rail coaches in India. Established in 1955, ICF is located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. As the government and Indian Railways targeted to complete this project by 2018, the train sets were named Train 18. And as per the target, the train sets were launched for testing in October 2018. After four successive years of planning, manufacturing, and testing, Vande Bharat as Train 18 was inaugurated by the honorable prime minister of India, Shri Narender Modi, in 2019 to replace the existing 30-year-old Shatabdi Express System.
Other Technical Aspects of Vande Bharat Express
Vande Bharat Express is an aerodynamic model that combats air resistance at high speeds.
- The current length of Vande Bharat is approx 384 meters, consisting of 16 coaches.
- It has a seating capacity of 1,128 passengers at a time.
- The airline seating arrangement is given to Vande Bharat Express, offering rotatable seats and executive interiors.
- Basic facilities include catering, smoke alarms, CCTVs, an odor control system, bio-vacuum toilets, seat pockets, sensor-based water taps, and bottle holders.
- As a high-speed rail Vande Bharat Express utilizes a 25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead line.`
- Vande Bharat Express was first run between New Delhi to Varanasi railway route on 15 February 2019.
- Under the Make in India Initiative, the first train set was manufactured in ICF in 18 months.
- The first unit cost was set to INR 100 crores in 2018.
- As per the data, the commercial speed of Vande Bharat Express is 160 km/h, and the current operational speed is 130 km/h. You will be amazed to find out that during tests, it exceeded 180 km/h.
- Operated by Indian Railways, Vande Bharat supports two classes, AC Chair (economy class) and Executive Chair (premium class).
- Vande Bharat Express takes 15% less time taken by its predecessor Shatabdi Express on the same route.
- The former name Train 18 was renamed Vande Bharat Express by the Railway Minister of India.
- After the successful implementation of the New Delhi-Varanasi Route, Vande Bharat Express was also introduced for New Delhi-Katra Route.
- Currently, the train is operating in 5 lines.
Current Schedule of Vande Bharat Express
Future Plans for Vande Bharat Express
Looking at the success of Vande Bharat Express in the existing five routes, the Railway Board has approved the production of 45 new sets by 2022. Though, it was delayed due to the Pandemic in 2022. But since everything is now moving with pace, ICF is again participating in the project with its full abilities. To address safety, the second version will be equipped with four emergency windows, disaster lights, fire survival cables inside door circuits, and a bacteria-free air conditioning system. As per the plan, there will be around 75 sets of Vande Bharat Express in the future, which cover more destinations, including Amritsar, Lucknow, Jaipur, Howrah, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, etc. A few of those will also replace the Shatabdi Express trains. Even ICF and Indian Railways are planning to launch Train 20, which is supposed to succeed Rajdhani Express.
Significance of Vande Bharat Express
Indian Railways and tourism contribute significantly to the GDP of the nation. And projects such as Vande Bharat can be a boon to both sectors. Though Indian Railways, the fourth largest railway network in the world, is known for its safety and security, we are also criticized for our late timings and underachieved schedule. Train systems such as Train 18 and Train 20 can improve the ratings of Indian Railways on a global scale. Apart from it, such trains also allow every citizen to experience an unbeatable experience of luxury and comfort at an affordable cost. The high-speed rails help thousands of passengers to travel at a convenient time. And support the economic bone of the Indian Railways. But at the same time, the infrastructure and regulations of the country need to be revised to achieve the exact paper value. Awareness and measures are necessary for proper operations.
VBee hopes this blog has given you an overview of Vande Bharat Express. For more blogs like these, subscribe to our newsletter.