The first set of Vande Bharat trains was flagged off between Delhi and Varanasi on February 15, 2019.
Vande Bharat: Since it hit the tracks for the first time on 15 February 2019, the flagship, the star train Vande Bharat has set a record of carrying more than two crore passengers till March 31, 2024.
The first set of two trains was flagged off between Delhi and Varanasi on February 15, 2019, informed the officials on Monday.
Also, the Indian Railways are celebrating 171 years of being in the service since the first ever train in India was run on April 16, 1853, between Mumbai and Thane.
The officials said the railways’ journey over the years has been stupendous as it successfully expanded its network to cover almost every nook and corner of the country and, today, Vande Bharat has become a new identity of a modernizing network.
Vande Bharat started with two trains on one route in 2019 and today 102 Vande Bharat trains are running on 100 routes covering 284 districts in 24 states and Union Territories, according to data shared by the railways.
“The distance that the Vande Bharat trains covered in the financial year 2023-24 is equivalent to taking 310 rounds of our planet Earth. Vande Bharat, which offers several world-class passenger amenities, is a new-age train based on distributed-power technology which helps quick acceleration and deceleration along with a smooth journey,” said a railway official adding that the national carrier’s Make In India initiative was fulfilled with this indigenous semi-high speed train which has gained a significant popularity among passengers, especially youngsters.
“The passenger data speaks for its popularity. Since its launch on February 15, 2019, more than two crore passengers have travelled in it because it offers facilities parallel to airplanes,” the official said.
“I think passengers enjoy its speed, comfortable seats, sound-proof coaches, wifi services, GPS-based passenger information system, pantry facilities in each coach, and transparent big size window glasses that allow them to enjoy the countryside’s natural beauty among others.”
The railways are in the process of launching more Vande Bharat trains as well as its sleeper version.
“Very soon, the Vande Bharat sleeper version will hit the track giving a new travel experience to the long-distance passengers. Recently, the Railway Minister visited a Bengaluru-based rail unit and inaugurated the body structure of Sleeper version,” an official said.
(With PTI inputs)