New Vande Bharat Trains: PM Modi to flag off 3 new Vande Bharat trains on August 31; check routes and other key features

On Saturday, August 31, India is all set to get three new Vande Bharat Express trains. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually flag off three new Vande Bharat trains as part of the 'Make in India' and 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' visions, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said on Friday, August 30.

The new trains will run on these routes- Meerut-Lucknow; Madurai-Bengaluru; and Chennai-Nagercoil, according to the PMO statement.

The Meerut City-Lucknow Vande Bharat will save passengers about one hour as compared to the existing quickest train between the two cities. Similarly, the Chennai Egmore-Nagercoil and Madurai-Bengaluru Vande Bharat trains would complete the route in less than two hours and 90 minutes, respectively.

These new Vande Bharat trains will provide the people with world-class means to travel with speed and comfort, catering to three states - Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.

The introduction of these new trains will herald a new standard of rail service to meet the needs of regular travellers, professionals, and business and student communities in immense measure, the PMO said.

India's first-ever indigenously designed and manufactured, semi-high speed Vande Bharat trains provide modern and comfortable rail travel experience to the passengers.

The Vande Bharat trains have a faster acceleration and semi-high speed operation up to 160 KMPH. They are fitted with the anti-collision device KAVACH and have a fully-sealed gangway for free passenger movement with automatic plug doors.

“Indian Railways has introduced as many as 772 additional train services, including 100 Vande Bharat trains, on its network from 2019-2020 to 2023-2024,” Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Rajya Sabha earlier this month.

The total funds utilised so far for manufacturing Vande Bharat trains amount to Rs 1,343.72 crore.

These trains have been introduced to provide a better travel experience to the passengers, with modern coaches having enhanced safety features and amenities, the Railway Minister said.
"To cater to the travelling needs of different segments of passengers, Indian Railways introduces and operates different types of services viz. express trains, superfast trains, passenger/MEMU/DEMU trains and suburban services. Introduction of train services is an ongoing process of the Indian Railways subject to traffic justification, operational feasibility, and availability of resources,” he added.

Vande Bharat 2.0: 10 key Features to Know

• The new Vande Bharat trains include 32-inch LCD TVs instead of the previous 24-inch TVs.
• Vande Bharat 2.0 have a passenger information and communication system.
• ACs are 15 per cent more energy efficient and have dust-free clean air cooling system. 
• The side reclining seat capability, which was available to executive class passengers only, are now be made available to all classes. 
• The executive coaches have seats that can rotate 180 degrees. 
• The train also included bio vacuum toilets with touch-free options. 
• The trains also offers Wi-Fi on demand.
• The Vande Bharat 2.0 trains are equipped with the KAVACH (train collision avoidance system), which improves operational safety. 
• Four emergency windows also installed in each coach, increasing security. 
• There are four platform side cameras, including rear view cameras, outside the coach, instead of two previously. 

With agency inputs