Vande Bharat Express

May 27, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently flagged off the inaugural run of Vande Bharat Express from Dehradun to Delhi. It is the 17th Vande Bharat Express train to the nation.

About:

  • Vande Bharat Express, earlier named as Train 18, is India's fastest indigenous train which has been built by the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai under the Government’s Make in India.
  • Timeline: It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi between New Delhi and Varanasi on February 15, 2019 and is running with no reported issues in the last six months.
  • It is India's first semi-high-speed train which will run from Delhi to Varanasi, with halts at Kanpur and Allahabad, at a maximum speed of 160 kmph by covering the distance in 8 hours.
  • It is equipped with world class passenger amenities like On-board wifi entertainment, GPS based passenger information system, CCTVs, bio-vacuum toilets, rotating chairs in executive class, etc.
  • The express will have two travel classes: executive and chair car, similar to the Shatabdi.
  • Further, it has intelligent braking system with power regeneration for better energy efficiency thereby making it cost, energy and environment efficient.
  • It is also the first locomotive-less train in the country.