Inputs by Yashasvi Anika Tandon
The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, flagged off nine semi-high speed Vande Bharat Express trains across 11 states:
Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, Odisha, Jharkhand and Gujarat.
All these eight coached chair car trains are air conditioned with automated doors.
The longest distance covered by the Vande Bharat Express train is 759 km, from Delhi to Varanasi.
Are Vande Bharat the fastest trains between two stations?
While Vande Bharat trains are the fastest in India from a technology perspective, their operational speed is far lower than the technically possible 180 kmph. This means that Vande Bharat may not always be the fastest train between two stations.
This happens because of various reasons. The two most common reasons are:
A. The condition of the tracks. If the train is likely to run into cattle or wildlife, it cannot be run at very high speeds. Also, some tracks will not be able to support a 180 kmph train.
B. Number of halts. The more halts a train has, the longer its journey time is likely to be. Even with short halts, the train needs to slow down at each station and then take some time to pick up speed. While more halts lead to better connectivity and more utilisation of the train infrastructure, they do slow the train down.
Details of trains launched on September 24, 2023
These nine trains are:
- 20665/20666 Chennai Egmore – Tirunelveli Vande Bharat Express
- 20678/20677 MGR Chennai – Vijayawada Vande Bharat Express
- 22347/22348 Patna – Howrah Vande Bharat Express
- 20703/20704 Secunderabad (Kacheguda) – Bengaluru (Yesvantpur) Vande Bharat Express.
- 20835/20836 Rourkela – Puri Vande Bharat Express
- 20631/20632 Kasargod – Thiruvanantapuram Vande Bharat Express
- 20979/20980 Udaipur – Jaipur Vande Bharat Express
- 22926/22925 Jamnagar – Ahmedabad (Sabarmati) Vande Bharat Express
- 20898/20897 Ranchi – Howrah Vande Bharat Express
| Sr. No. | Name | Average Speed (in km/hr) | Distance Covered (in km) | No. of halts | Total Travel Time (in minutes) | Non-Operational On |
| 1. | Chennai Egmore – Tirunelveli | 83 | 650 | 6 | 470 | Tuesday |
| 2. | MGR Chennai – Vijayawada | 77 | 514 | 4 | 400 | Tuesday |
| 3. | Patna – Howrah | 90 | 532 | 7 | 410 | Wednesday |
| 4. | Secunderabad – Bengaluru | 72 | 612 | 4 | 510 | Wednesday |
| 5. | Rourkela – Puri | 67 | 505 | 9 | 450 | Saturday |
| 6. | Kasargod – Thiruvanantapuram | 73 | 574 | 8 | 473 | Tuesday (Monday when returning) |
| 7. | Udaipur – Jaipur | 70 | 436 | 7 | 375 | Tuesday |
| 8. | Jamnagar – Ahmedabad | 71 | 331 | 5 | 280 | Wednesday for Jamnagar – Ahmedabad Tuesday for Ahmedabad – Jamnagar |
| 9. | Ranchi – Howrah | 65 | 458 | 6 | 425 | Tuesday |
Orange and Grey Vande Bharat Express
The first orange and grey coloured Vande Bharat Express has also been inaugurated, which is from Kasargod to Thiruvanantapuram. It is orange in colour and denotes an improved version of the train with incorporation of the public’s ideas.
There are now a total of 68 Vande Bharat Express trains running across the country (34 Up and 34 Down). The special thing about these trains is that they help cover distances in a shorter period of time and are safer (as they are equipped with automatic doors that shut only when no one is standing at the doors, and other such features).
Vande Bharat trains also boast excellent accessibility features compared to regular railway coaches.
The new changes done are – softer cushions, better reclining facility, improved restroom lighting, better fabric for roller blinds, and deeper washbasins to prevent splashing of water.
For the executive chair cars, the footrest has been extended and the colour of the seats has been changed to blue.
Can we book them now?
Most of these trains will be available for regular reservation between 25th – 27th September.