Security personnel keep vigil as a new Vande Bharat train leaves the Ernakulam South railway station following its virtual flag-off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Ernakulam, Kerala.
Credit: PTI Photo
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Ernakulam–KSR Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express on Saturday, Indian Railways now has over 160 Vande Bharat trains functional across the nation.
The Prime Minister visited Varanasi to flag off four new Vande Bharat trains through the Banaras-Khajuraho, Lucknow-Saharanpur, Firozpur-Delhi, and Ernakulam-Bengaluru routes.
"We already have 156 Vande Bharat Express services across the country, and with the addition of 8 new services, the total will now be 164," Executive Director of Information & Publicity for Indian Railway Board Dilip Kumar told ANI.
Modi also said, according to a PIB statement, “Trains like Vande Bharat, Namo Bharat, and Amrit Bharat are laying the foundation for the next generation of Indian Railways,” stating the importance of providing citizens with a more comfortable, easier, and faster travel.
The Vande Bharat trains are aimed to increase connectivity between destinations in the shortest time period possible. The newly inaugurated trains were much-awaited by the citizens for seamless travel.
The Vande Bharat was launched as the country's first semi-high-speed train, to bring modern and efficient rail travel to India. In the Prime Minister's address in Varanasi, he highlighted the economic dimension of pilgrimage in India.
The first Vande Bharat train was introduced in the year 2019, along the New Delhi-Kanpur-Allahabad-Varanasi route. Earlier in October, the Indian Railways launched the train's new sleeper coach. With air-conditioned and comfortable interiors, it will feature 16 coaches, including 11 AC 3-tier coaches, four AC 2-tier coaches, and one AC 1st-Class coach.