Vande Bharat Latest Update: In a bid to expand the existing network of high-speed trains in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch 9 new Vande Bharat trains on Sunday. At present, there are 25 Vande Bharat Express trains operating in various parts of the country. With the addition of these nine new routes, the total number of Vande Bharat Express trains in operation will increase to 34, benefiting travellers across India.

Vande Bharat train service between the Kacheguda-Yesvantpur will be the fastest train between the two cities with the least journey time, when compared with other trains in this route. It has a seating capacity of 530 passengers.

The train on the Vijayawada – MGR Chennai Central route will be the first and fastest train on this route. The train has a seating capacity of 530 passengers.

9 Vande Bharat Trains to be Launched on Sunday. All You Need to Know

The Railways have already begun preparations for the semi high-speed train operations on the Patna-Howrah route with strengthening of tracks on Patna-Jhajha-Asansol- Burdwan -Howrah main line. According to the officials, the new rakes for the Patna-Howrah and Ranchi-Howrah routes will have 25 added features, the train will cover a distance of 535 km in approximately 6 hours and 30 minutes, making it the fastest direct rail connection between Patna and Kolkata.

For the unversed, the first Vande Bharat Express was flagged off on February 15, 2019, by the Prime Minister, running between New Delhi and Varanasi. Manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, the train set symbolizes the ‘Make-In-India’ initiative and showcases India’s engineering prowess.

The project to manufacture indigenous semi-high-speed train sets began in mid-2017, and within 18 months, the ICF Chennai completed Train-18. India’s first semi-high-speed train was renamed Vande Bharat Express in January 2019 to emphasize its made-in-India status. The train achieved a maximum speed of 180 kmph on the Kota-Sawai Madhopur section.

(With ANI Inputs)