Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off two new Vande Bharat trains from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.
The new and upgraded version of Vande Bharat Express will run between Mumbai and Solapur and Mumbai and Sainagar Shirdi.
Mumbai-Solapur train, the ninth Vande Bharat train will connect the country’s commercial capital to the City of Textiles and Hutatmas in Maharashtra and ensure faster connectivity to pilgrimage centres such as Siddheshwar in Solapur, Akkalkot, Tuljapur, Pandharpur near Solapur and Alandi near Pune.
The existing superfast train takes 7 hours 55 minutes while Vande Bharat will complete the same journey in 6 hours 30 minutes, thus saving 1 hour 30 minutes of travel time, according to Railways. Pilgrimage centres, textile hub, tourist sites and the education hub of Pune will also be connected by it.
The 10th Vande Bharat Train in the country, the Mumbai-Sainagar Shirdi Vande Bharat Express will boost connectivity to important pilgrimage centres in Maharashtra’s Nashik, Trimbakeshwar, Sainagar Shirdi, and Shani Singapur.
The Vande Bharat Train is an indigenously manufactured, Semi-High Speed and self-propelled train set. The train is equipped with state-of-the-art passenger amenities, providing a much faster, more comfortable and more convenient travel experience for railway passengers.
According to Indian Railways, Vande Bharat 2.0 is equipped with advanced and improved features enabling it to reach 0 to 100 kmph in just 52 seconds, a further 129 seconds to reach 160 kmph, and a maximum speed of up to 180 kilometres per hour. The improved Vande Bharat will weigh 392 tonnes as compared to the previous version, which weighed 430 tonnes.
It also comes with Wi-Fi connection on-demand facility. Every coach has 32-inch screens providing passengers with information and infotainment, compared to the 24-inch screens in the previous version. The Vande Bharat Express 2.0 is also environment friendly as the ACs are 15 per cent more energy efficient.
With dust-free clean air cooling of the traction motor, travel will become more comfortable. The side recliner seats, which were provided only to Executive Class passengers earlier, have now been made available for all the classes. Executive coaches have the added feature of 180-degree rotating seats.
In its new design, the Vande Bharat Express comes with a photo-catalytic ultraviolet air purification system in the Roof-Mounted Package Unit (RMPU) for air purification. Further, as recommended by Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO), Chandigarh, this system is designed and installed on both ends of RMPU to filter and clean the air, keeping it free from germs, bacteria, and viruses.
The Vande Bharat Express 2.0 offers various superior and aircraft-like travelling experiences. It is equipped with advanced state-of-the-art safety features including an indigenously developed Train Collision Avoidance System – KAVACH.