Vande Bharat Express

The Vande Bharat Express, formerly known as Train 18,[2] is an electric multiple-unit train operated by Indian Railways. The train achieved a max speed of 183 km/h (114 mph) during testing. However, due to the railway track speed capacity and traffic constraints, the operating speed of the train is limited to 160 km/h (99 mph) on the Delhi-Bhopal route and 110–130 km/h (68-81 mph) on other routes due to safety concerns.[3][4]

Vande Bharat Express
Vande Bharat Express in Thane
Overview
Service typeLow-cost Semi-Highspeed Rail (LC-SHR)
StatusActive
PredecessorShatabdi Express, MEMU
First service15 February 2019 (2019-02-15)
Websiteindianrail.gov.in
Route
Line(s) used16 (operational)
5 (to be commissioned)
On-board services
Class(es)CC Chair (Economy Class)
Executive Chair (Premium Class)
Seating arrangements
  • Airline style
  • Rotatable seats
Catering facilitiesOn-board catering
Observation facilitiesLarge windows in all carriages
Entertainment facilities
Baggage facilitiesOverhead racks
Other facilities
Technical
Rolling stock
  • VBE trainsets
[1]
Track gaugeIndian gauge
1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge
Electrification25 kV 50 Hz AC Overhead line
Operating speed160 km/h (99 mph) in a part of Rani Kamalapati (in Bhopal) - Hazrat Nizamuddin (in Delhi) Route,
110-130 km/h (68-81 mph) in other routes
Average length384 metres (1,260 ft) (16 coaches)
192 metres (630 ft) (8 coaches)
Rake maintenanceIntegral Coach Factory Chennai

The train, then known as Train 18, was designed by the RDSO and manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF).[5] The specifications were also standardized by the RDSO.[6] It was made for low-cost maintenance and operational optimization. The cost of a 16-coach Vande Bharat train is about ₹115 crore (US$14 million).[7] The cost of an 8-coach Mini Vande Bharat (MVB2) train is about ₹70 crore (US$8.8 million).

On 27 January 2019, Train 18 was renamed Vande Bharat Express. It went into service on 15 February 2019.[8]

History

Background

The Vande Bharat Express is based on the Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) trainsets, of which the standard design has been in service since the mid-1990s. The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) has manufactured Up MEMU technology for the last 25 years.[9] As a supplement for the long-distance Vande Bharat Express, a modified MEMU was built incorporating Vande Bharat technology for suburban, commuter and short-distance intercity runs.[10]

In June 2015, Indian Railways issued a bid for train manufacturing, but no bid met the necessary criteria, leading to the decision to manufacture trains independently in India.[11][12] Two new trains were announced to be manufactured at the ICF and were named Train 18 after the targeted completion date.[13][14]

Manufacturing the first set

The manufacture of Train 18 was completed in October 2018. During the test runs, the train achieved an operational speed of 180 km/h (110 mph), matching the speed achieved by a locomotive-hauled consist largely made of MEMU's EMU architecture coaches.[15] In Vande Bharat rakes, out of 16 coaches, 8 are motorised, providing approximately 12000 horsepower to the train.[16]

Trial runs

On 29 October 2018, the first trial took place in Chennai. It became the first trainset in history which was tested by ICF itself before delivery. For that new test track, a defunct Chennai suburban railway line section has been converted into semi-high-speed test track.[17] The brakes and air conditioning were tested, and the crew was familiarised with key control systems.[18][19][20] An official from Indian Railways said that during the low-speed run in Chennai, "some fuses went off," but the problem was small and easy to fix.[21] The second round of testing was scheduled in Delhi on 7 November 2018, and final trials were to be held on the Kota-Sawai Madhopur line.[22] The train was pulled by another locomotive that left on 11 November and arrived in Delhi on 13 November. Railway officials said that a separate locomotive was needed at the time of the test run, as Train 18 had not yet been certified to run on its own by the Commission of Railway Safety.[21]

On 17 November 2018, testing was scheduled to begin along a stretch of track between Bareilly and Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. Due to a problem on this part of the track, the location was changed to Moradabad–Rampur.[23][24] Testing occurred at low speeds, ranging from 30–60 km/h (19–37 mph).[25] The train was then moved to a section of track on the Kota–Sawai Madhopur line to be tested at operating speed.[24] A team of six officials was put together by India's Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO), which supervised the testing and gave the go-ahead for the final speed test.[20]

During shakedown, the first Vande Bharat trainset achieved a speed of 180 kilometres per hour (110 mph), although it was designed for a maximum speed of 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph) and a design service speed of 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph). However, because the majority of Indian railway tracks are not designed for 160 km/h service, in practice Vande Bharat trainsets are capped at a maximum service speed of 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph).[26][16][27][28][29]

The specific energy consumption (SEC) of gross ton/km was 15.4kWh, which is less than other Indian trains. As per the simulation done at the ICF, the specific energy consumption of Shatabdi Express was 17.2 kWh per gross ton/km.[30]

According to the Railway Minister, the second version of the Vande Bharat Express accelerated from 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) in just 52 seconds during trials.[31]

Inauguration
Inauguration of the first Vande Bharat Express between Delhi and Varanasi at the New Delhi railway station on 15 February 2019, flagged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Train 18 was inaugurated on 15 February 2019 after four years of planning, manufacturing, and testing.[32] On 27 January 2019, the train was renamed to Vande Bharat Express by Indian Railways. The Railway Minister said the renaming was done to acknowledge the fact that the train was manufactured entirely in India.[33][2] The train went into service on 15 February 2019.[8][34]

Its inaugural run was flagged off on 15 February 2019,[8] with the commercial run starting on 17 February 2019. It ran on the Delhi–Varanasi route,[35] via Kanpur and Prayagraj, connecting Varanasi to the capital city and reducing travel time along the route by 15%.[36] The train's regenerative brakes are also expected to allow a 30% saving in electricity cost as compared to its predecessor.[37]

The 8-hour journey from New Delhi to Varanasi station has a chair car CC Class fare of ₹1,440.00 and covers a total distance of about 762 km (473 mi).[38]

Production

On 13 December 2019, after the success of the New Delhi–Varanasi route and the later New Delhi–Katra route, the Railway Board approved the production of 45 new Vande Bharat trainsets by 2022.[39][40]

Production slowed down because of the COVID-19 pandemic and other administrative problems, which also cut annual production capacity by 12.5%.[41] Despite this, the Railway Minister decided to move ahead with the schedule and asked the officials to build 10 trains by August 2022.[42][43]

In January 2021, Indian Railways placed orders for 44 second-generation Vande Bharat trainsets.[44]

In the Union Budget for 2022, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the government would manufacture 400 more Vande Bharat trains over the next three years.[45]

Indian Railways had ordered 36,000 wheels for Vande Bharat trainsets from Ukraine for US$16 million,[46] however, the supplies were disrupted due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Indian Railways also placed orders with companies based in the Czech Republic, Poland, Malaysia, China, and the United States to ensure an undisrupted supply of wheels.[47][48]

In May 2022, the Indian Railways hired the Steel Authority of India (SAIL) to produce 100,000 wheels at its Durgapur steel plant.[48][49] It also built wheels at the Rail Wheel Factory in Bengaluru which could make 80,000 wheels for high-speed trains each year.[50][51] SAIL, Durgapur and RINL, Forged Wheel Plant, Uttar Pradesh will also locally produce wheels for the Vande Bharat Express.[52]

Design

Vande Bharat 1.0 (VB1)
Vande Bharat 1.0 Chair Car (CC) seating

As part of the "Make in India" initiative, the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) created and produced the Vande Bharat Express.[53][54]

The outside of the Vande Bharat Express has an aerodynamic design that is meant to reduce air resistance at high speeds.[55] It has a driver's cabin at each end, so it can move more quickly between stations.[18] The trainset weighs 430 tonnes, and has 16 passenger cars with a seating capacity of 1,128 passengers.[56] Two of the centre compartments are first-class compartments that seat 52 each, with the rest being coach compartments seating 78 each.[35] The chassis of a coach is 23 meters long, and the frame of the train is made entirely of stainless steel.[57] Alternate coaches are motorized to ensure an even distribution of power and quicker acceleration and deceleration. The cars are interconnected and fully sealed to allow better mobility between coaches and reduce noise. The train features a GPS-based passenger information system, bio-vacuum toilets, and rotational seats that can be aligned in the direction of travel in the executive class,[58] and employs a regenerative braking system.[59]

The Vande Bharat can reach a maximum speed of 180 km/h (110 mph). It can accelerate to a speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) in 54.6 seconds and reach its maximum speed in 145 seconds. Trains are equipped with 24 in (61 cm) television screens that serve as the passenger information and entertainment system. The train's underframe electrical equipment can withstand floods up to 40 cm (16 in).[60][61]

The assembly of the train takes eight weeks.[57] About 80–85% of the components that go into making the Vande Bharat are indigenously sourced. Among the imported components are the wheels, seats, doors, braking system, transformers, and electronic parts such as processing chips,[57][62] with plans to produce them domestically.[22] The train's seats were imported from Spain,[62] and the wheels were imported from Ukraine.[63]

Indian Railways and ICF were also planning the development of Train 20, an upgraded version of Train 18 intended to replace the Rajdhani Express. The new train was planned to have an aluminium body with sleeper coaches.[64]

Vande Bharat 2.0 (VB2)
Vande Bharat 2.0 Chair Car (CC) seating
Vande Bharat 2.0 Executive Chair Car (EC) seating

The VB2 trains can accelerate to a speed of 100 km/h (62 mph)[65] in 52 seconds, compared to the 54 seconds taken to reach the same speed by the older version. The train can reach a speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) in 140 seconds, 5 seconds faster than the first generation of the Vande Bharat. It is lighter, weighing 392 tonnes compared to 430 tonnes for the previous version and is equipped with larger 32-inch television screens and have Wi-Fi onboard. The air conditioning system on the VB2 utilizes 15% less energy than the system on the first Vande Bharat trainset. VB2 also has automatic plug doors, sliding doors that don't need to be touched, emergency communication units, accessible toilets, a bigger driver's cabin, and seats in all coaches that can be leaned back.[60][61] To address the seat reclining issues of the previous version, the new chairs were equipped with a push-back arrangement for smooth reclining.[66][67]

The VB2 is additionally equipped for safety and protection with Kavach signalling technology.[68] The train offers enhanced amenities, security, and surveillance systems, as well as features suited for emergency situations. The seats are made up of Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) and were made by Tata Steel's Composites division.[69][70][71] The new rolling stock features four emergency windows, disaster lights in all coaches in the event of lighting system failure, fire survival cables within door circuits, ventilation for three hours in the event that the air conditioner loses power, and four additional emergency push buttons per coach.[66][67] The new coaches are also equipped with a centralized Coach Monitoring System for all types of electricity and climate control, among other new additions. An official added that the new coaches would be provided with a bacteria-free air conditioning system and higher flood protection for electrical equipment to ensure reliability during monsoons up to 65 cm (26 in).[66][67]

On 9 September 2022, trial runs for the VB2 train were completed.[60] The first VB2 rake entered service on 30 September 2022.[72] Indian Railways has ordered 102 VB2 trainsets in total. As of October 2022, four VB2 trainsets have been built, and about half a dozen are under production at the ICF. Sudhanshu Mani said, "Now that ICF has already developed four such trains and gotten the hang of the process, they can easily roll out three to four trains per month and around 40 by 15 August next year."[57]

Vande Bharat 2.0 (VB2) Modified Rakes

Several rakes have been modified to accommodate for specific routes. The Mumbai CSMT - Sainagar Shirdi Vande Bharat Express and Mumbai CSMT - Solapur Vande Bharat Express are modified Vande Bharat trains that have additional parking brakes for stopping the train in gradient. This feature is not available in other Vande Bharat trains.

The Delhi Cantt.-Ajmer Vande Bharat express is a modified Vande Bharat train that has high-rise pantographs as the New Delhi-Jaipur route has a higher catenary for accommodating double-stacked containers and Double Decker Express trains.[73] It is the world's first semi-high-speed passenger train with high-rise pantographs.[74]

Vande Bharat 3.0 (VB3)
See also: Train 20

The Vande Bharat 3.0 trainset will introduce sleeper coaches for the first time. It will have three classes: 1A, 2A and 3A. VB3 is expected to have a maximum speed of 180–200 km/h (110–120 mph) and a design life of 35 years.[75] VB3 is expected to be lighter and more energy efficient than the VB2, as well as have better passenger amenities.[76]

Half of the VB3 trainsets will have coaches made of steel, while the other half will have coaches made of aluminium with articulated bogies.[77]

Vande Bharat 4.0 (VB4)

The fourth generation Vande Bharat (VB4) trains are planned to have a maximum speed of more than 200 km/h (120 mph).[78] VB4 coaches will be made of a lightweight aluminium alloy. VB4 is expected to feature improved passenger amenities such as a 3-pin socket and USB power socket for every passenger, zero discharge toilet systems, and facilities to accommodate passengers travelling in wheelchairs. VB4 will also have a cattle guard that can absorb collisions with animals up to 600 kilograms (1,300 pounds) in weight and keep animals from being dragged under the train in the event of a collision.[79]

All VB4 trainsets are expected to be tilting trains, marking the first commercial deployment of the technology in India.[80] The first VB4 set is expected to enter service in 2024.[81]

Rake formation

The rake formations of all the operational versions of the train are given below.[82]

Rake Formation of 1st Generation 16 coach Vande Bharat Express (VB1)
Coach Sr.No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Travel Class CC EC CC
Power Configuration DTC MC TC MC2 NDTC MC TC MC2 NDTC MC TC MC2 MC3 TC MC DTC
Basic Power Units Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3 Unit 4
Seating Capacity 44 78 78 78 78 78 78 52 52 78 78 78 78 78 78 44
Rake Formation of 2nd Generation 16 coach Vande Bharat Express (VB2)
Coach Sr.No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Travel Class CC EC CC
Power Configuration DTC MC TC MC2 MC TC MC2 NDTC NDTC MC2 TC MC MC2 TC MC DTC
Basic Power Units Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3 Unit 4
Seating Capacity 44 78 78 78 78 78 78 52 52 78 78 78 78 78 78 44
Rake Formation of 2nd Generation 8 coach Vande Bharat Express (MVB2)
Coach Sr.No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Travel Class CC EC CC
Power Configuration DTC MC TC MC2 MC2 TC MC DTC
Basic Power Units Unit 1 Unit 2
Seating Capacity 44 78 52 78 78 78 78 44

Abbreviations:

  • DTC – Driving Trailer Coach
  • NDTC – Non-Driving Trailer Coach
  • MC – Motor Coach
  • MC2 – Motor Coach with electrical change-over switch
  • MC3 – 180° rotated MC2
  • TC – Trailer Coach having Pantograph
  • EC – Executive Chair Car (2x2 seats)
  • CC – Economy Chair Car (3x2 seats)

Production

As part of the Make in India initiative, the ICF, led by Sudhanshu Mani, designed and made the Vande Bharat Express.[53] The unit cost of the first train was estimated at ₹100 crore (equivalent to ₹114 crore or US$14 million in 2020).[83] A total of two first-generation Vande Bharat trainsets were built by the ICF.[84]

Indian Railways first floated a tender to manufacture 44 VB2 rakes in July 2020. The agency refloated the tender three times, with the fourth (and final) tender being floated in September 2020. It was floated under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative and required 75% of the components to be locally sourced.[85] Indian Railways received three bids for the tender and awarded a ₹2,211 crore (equivalent to ₹25 billion or US$310 million in 2020) contract to Hyderabad-based Medha Servo Drives to manufacture 44 Vande Bharat trainsets on 21 January 2021. Medha will build the rakes at ICF (24 rakes), Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala and Modern Coach Factory, Raebareli (10 rakes each).[86]

Indian Railways floated a tender to manufacture an additional 58 VB2 rakes on 28 August 2021.[87][88] In March 2022, Indian Railways awarded contracts to seven companies to supply equipment and manufacture the 58 trainsets at a total cost of ₹18.5 billion (equivalent to ₹21 billion or US$260 million in 2020). The seven companies are Medha Servo Drives, Alstom, Siemens, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Titagarh Wagons, Saini Electricals and CGL.[89] ICF will supervise the manufacture of 26 of the 58 rakes. Medha Servo Drives will build propulsion systems under ICF oversight. Siemens will supply propulsion systems to manufacture 16 rakes at the Modern Coach Factory, and Alstom will supply propulsion systems for nine trains to be built at the Rail Coach Factory. BHEL will supply components for four trainsets, while CGL, Saini Electricals, and Titagarh Wagons will build one rake each. All 7 of these rakes will also be built at the ICF.[89]

Indian Railways invited bids to design and manufacture 200 VB3 trainsets in April 2022. The agency estimated that it would cost ₹26,000 crore (equivalent to ₹300 billion or US$3.7 billion in 2020).[75] The estimate includes the cost of upgrading infrastructure at either the Marathwada Rail Coach Factory in Latur or the ICF where VB3 is planned to be manufactured.[90] A further ₹32,000 (equivalent to ₹36,000 or US$460 in 2020) will be paid to the winning bidders over a 35-year period for maintenance. The bidders would be required to build the first prototype VB3 trainset within 24 months of being awarded the contract.[91]

Indian Railways floated tenders to manufacture and maintain 200 VB4 trainsets in July 2022. The production would be soon commenced at MCF, Rae Baraeli and later at the Rail Coach Naveenikaran Karkhana (RCNK), Sonipat and Marathwada Rail Coach Factory (MRCF), and Latur.[92]

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited has already built the automatic line with Industry 4.0 complaint plant at Rail Coach Naveenikaran Karkhana (RCNK), Sonipat for assembling and de-assembling of Vande Bharat bogies.[93][94] RVNL will also upgrade the government manufacturing units and trainset depots as stated in a stock exchange filing.[95]

The Modern Coach Factory at Raebareli has a production target of 10 rakes for the fiscal year 2023-24.[96] On 2 March 2023, Russia’s JSC Metrowagonmash with RITES JV had the lowest bid for 120 Vande Bharat trains as the L1 bidder for each rolling stock cost at Rs. 120 crores each with a total bid value of Rs 14,400 crore. Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), a railway public sector enterprise, bid for the manufacturing and maintenance of 200 Vande Bharat trains at Rs. 120 crores each as a separate L1 bidder with a total bid value of Rs. 24,000 crores and BHEL & Titagarh Wagons JV as an L2 bidder bid for manufacturing and maintenance of 80 Vande Bharat trains with a total bid value of Rs 9,600 crore.[97]

The Ramkrishna Forgings-Titagarh Wagons consortium which contains BHEL as its electrics manufacturer emerged as the lowest bidder for supplying wheels to Indian Railways. The consortium will set up a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in India for forged wheel production and will supply approximately 1.6 million wheel discs of different rolling stocks of the Indian Railways over a period of 20 years, at about 80,000 wheels per annum.[98]

Operation

Fares

Each Vande Bharat Express train has 2 Executive Class coaches and 14 Chair car coaches. Both types are air-conditioned. A Delhi-Varanasi journey costs ₹3,310 in the Executive Class (EC) and ₹1,760 in a Chair Car (CC).[99] No concessional fare or child fare is applicable.[100]

Earnings and occupancy

Northern Railway stated that the New Delhi-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express, which was launched in 2019, had a cumulative earning of ₹92 crore (US$12 million) with 100% occupancy after one year of service.[101]

According to data shared by the Indian Railways, between April 1, 2022 and February 8, 2023, the Vande Bharat Express had an average occupancy of 99%. The Vande Bharat Express from Nagpur to Bilaspur had the lowest occupancy rate of 52.86%.[102] In comparison, from 2019-2020, Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto express trains had an occupancy of 97.01%.[103]

In the near future, for routes with low occupancy, Mini Vande Bharat trains will replace the normal 16-coach Vande Bharat trains.[104] The sixth Vande Bharat train was temporarily replaced by a Tejas Express rake in May 2023.[105]

Speed

The maximum permissible speed of the train is 160 km/h (99 mph)[106] and the Vande Bharat Express held a trial run with the train clocking a speed of 183 km/h (114 mph)[107] but most of the Indian railway tracks are not capable of supporting a speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) and for this reason, most of the Vande Bharat Express trains have a maximum permissible speed which is lower than 160 km/h. According to maximum permissible speed, the Gatimaan Express and Hazrat Nizamuddin - Rani Kamalapati Vande Bharat Express are the fastest trains in India as their maximum permissible speed during the Tughlakabad–Agra segment only is 160 km/h (99 mph).[108][109] A full list of trains with their maximum operational speed can be found in the table below.

Services

The following table provides the list of trains in service as of May 2023:[110]

Sr. No. Train Name Train Number Originating Station Terminal Station Operator Rake Version Frequency Distance Travel Time Speed Inauguration
Maximum permitted Average (including stoppage)
In Service
1 New Delhi - Varanasi Vande Bharat Express 22435/22436 New Delhi Varanasi Junction NR VB1 Except Thursdays 759 km (472 mi) 08h 00m 130 km/h (81 mph)[111] 95 km/h (59 mph)[112] 15 February 2019
2 New Delhi - Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Vande Bharat Express 22439/22440 New Delhi Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra NR VB1 Except Tuesdays 655 km (407 mi) 08h 00m 130 km/h (81 mph)[111] 82 km/h (51 mph)[112] 3 October 2019
3 Mumbai Central - Gandhinagar Capital Vande Bharat Express 20901/20902 Mumbai Central Gandhinagar Capital WR VB2 Except Sundays 522 km (324 mi) 06h 25m 130 km/h (81 mph)[111] 82 km/h (51 mph)[113] 30 September 2022
4 New Delhi - Amb Andaura Vande Bharat Express 22447/22448 New Delhi Amb Andaura NR VB2 Except Fridays 412 km (256 mi) 05h 15m 130 km/h (81 mph)[111] 78 km/h (48 mph)[112] 13 October 2022
5 MGR Chennai Central - Mysuru Vande Bharat Express 20607/20608 MGR Chennai Central Mysuru Junction SR VB2 Except Wednesdays 496 km (308 mi) 06h 30m 130 km/h (81 mph)[114] 79 km/h (49 mph)[112] 11 November 2022
6 Bilaspur - Nagpur Vande Bharat Express 20825/20826 Bilaspur Junction Nagpur Junction SECR MVB2 Except Saturdays 412 km (256 mi) 05h 30m 130 km/h (81 mph) 75 km/h (47 mph) 11 December 2022[115][116]
7 Howrah - New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express 22301/22302 Howrah Junction New Jalpaiguri Junction ER VB2 Except Wednesdays 565 km (351 mi) 07h 30m 130 km/h (81 mph) 75 km/h (47 mph) 30 December 2022
8 Visakhapatnam - Secunderabad Vande Bharat Express 20833/20834 Visakhapatnam Junction Secunderabad Junction ECoR VB2 Except Sundays 698 km (434 mi) 08h 30m 130 km/h (81 mph) 82 km/h (51 mph) 15 January 2023
9 Mumbai CSMT - Solapur Vande Bharat Express 22225/22226 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Solapur CR VB2 Except Wednesdays
(22225)

Except Thursdays
(22226)

 452 km (281 mi) 06h 30m 110 km/h (68 mph) 70 km/h (43 mph)[117] 10 February 2023
10 Mumbai CSMT - Sainagar Shirdi Vande Bharat Express 22223/22224 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Sainagar Shirdi CR VB2 Except Tuesdays 339 km (211 mi) 05h 20m 110 km/h (68 mph) 64 km/h (40 mph) 10 February 2023
11 Rani Kamalapati (Habibganj) - Hazrat Nizamuddin Vande Bharat Express 20171/20172 Rani Kamalapati Hazrat Nizamuddin WCR VB2 Except Saturdays 702 km (436 mi) 07h 30m 160 km/h (99 mph)[118] 94 km/h (58 mph)[119] 1 April 2023 [120]
12 Secunderabad - Tirupati Vande Bharat Express 20701/20702 Secunderabad Junction Tirupati SCR VB2 Except Tuesdays 661 km (411 mi) 08h 15m 130 km/h (81 mph) 80 km/h (50 mph) 8 April 2023 [121]
13 MGR Chennai Central - Coimbatore Vande Bharat Express 20643/20644 MGR Chennai Central Coimbatore Junction SR MVB2 Except Wednesdays 495 km (308 mi) 05h 50m 130 km/h (81 mph) 85 km/h (53 mph) 8 April 2023

[122]

14 Delhi Cantonment - Ajmer Vande Bharat Express 20977/20978 Delhi Cantonment Ajmer Junction NWR VB2 Except Wednesdays 428 km (266 mi) 05h 15m 110 km/h (68 mph)[123][124] 82 km/h (51 mph) 12 April 2023 [125]
15 Thiruvananthapuram - Kasaragod Vande Bharat Express 20634/20633 Thiruvananthapuram Central Kasaragod SR VB2 Except Thursdays 587 km (365 mi) 08h 05m 110 km/h (68 mph) 73 km/h (45 mph) 25 April 2023 [126]
16 Howrah - Puri Vande Bharat Express 22895/22896 Howrah Junction Puri SER VB2 Except Thursdays 500 km (310 mi) 06h 25m 130 km/h (81 mph) 78 km/h (48 mph) 18 May 2023 [127]
Future Services
17 New Jalpaiguri - Guwahati Vande Bharat Express 22227/22228
(TBC)		 New Jalpaiguri Junction Guwahati NFR MVB2 (TBC) 407 km (253 mi) 06h 15m 110 km/h (68 mph) 65 km/h (40 mph) (TBC)[128]
18 Mumbai CSMT - Madgaon Vande Bharat Express[129] (TBC) Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Madgaon Junction CR (TBC) (TBC) (TBC) (TBC) (TBC) (TBC) (TBC)
19 Ranchi - Patna Vande Bharat Express[130] (TBC) Ranchi Junction Patna Junction SER (TBC) (TBC) (TBC) (TBC) 110 km/h (TBC) June 2023 (TBC) [131][130]
20 Ranchi - Howrah Vande Bharat Express[130] (TBC) Ranchi Junction Howrah Junction SER (TBC) (TBC) (TBC) (TBC) 130 km/h (TBC) June 2023 (TBC) [130]
21 Secunderabad - Yesvantpur Vande Bharat Express[132] 20703/20704 (TBC) Secunderabad Junction Yesvantpur Junction SCR (TBC) (TBC) (TBC) (TBC) (TBC) (TBC) (TBC)[133]

8-car Services

Senior railway officials said that allocation has been made for 8-car Vande Bharat trains, which will cost ₹65 crore per rake. The government has calculated the capital required for manufacturing these new sets of trains. The Indian Railways is looking at manufacturing 1,000 Vande Bharat rakes, of 8-car configuration, at a cost of ₹8.125 crore per coach. During the financial year of 2023-24, an allocation of ₹10 lakh has been made for designing the concept and primary research.[134]

The primary objective of the Mini Vande Bharat Express is to serve shorter routes with a travel time of 4–5 hours, as opposed to the 6-7 hour journeys of the current trains. The railways are planning to operate these trains on smaller sections where passenger demand is lower.[135]

The MGR Chennai Central - Coimbatore Vande Bharat Express and Secunderabad - Tirupati Vande Bharat Express are classified as part of the Mini Vande Bharat Express as they have 8 coaches instead of 16 coaches, costing only ₹70 crore (US$8.8 million).[136] There may be a 12-car Vande Bharat Express in the near future as per the ICF.

The Bilaspur - Nagpur Vande Bharat Express has been replaced by the Mini Vande Bharat since May 2023 as its average occupancy is only 52%.[104]

Vande Metro

"Vande Metro" is a proposed service that will operate on a short distance, intercity rail network that connect major cities within a distance of around 100kms. The design speed of Vande Metro will be 130 km/hr and the train is likely to run at a very high frequency (4-5 times a day). Vande Metro will become a replacement for the existing MEMU services for regional rail connectivity between any two big cities, which are at a distance of 100 to 120 kms.[137][138] As per sources Vande metro will connect routes such as Kanpur-Lucknow, Bhopal-Indore, Bhilai-Naya Raipur etc.[139]

Proposed services
  1. Delhi - Kota[140]
  2. Delhi - Bikaner[140]
  3. Delhi - Jhansi[141]
  4. Delhi - Khajuraho[142]
  5. Rewa - Jabalpur - Indore[140]
  6. Howrah - Jamshedpur - Ranchi[140]
  7. Howrah - Patna[140]
  8. Howrah - Bokaro Steel City[140]
  9. Howrah - Varanasi[140]
  10. Bengaluru - Coimbatore[140]
  11. Bengaluru - Dharwad[140]
  12. Ahmedabad - Bhopal[140]
  13. Ahmedabad - Jaipur[140]
  14. Ahmedabad - Pune[140]
  15. Ranchi - Deoghar[143]
  16. Raipur - Bhubaneswar[144]
  17. Jaipur - Indore[140]
  18. Jaipur - Kanpur[140]
  19. Secunderabad - Bhubaneswar[144]
  20. Pune - Secunderabad[140]
  21. Nagpur - Secunderabad[145]
  22. Chennai Central - Secunderabad[140]
  23. Chennai Central - Vijayawada[140]
  24. Chennai Egmore - Kanyakumari[140]
  25. Chennai Egmore - Madurai[140]
  26. Visakhapatnam - Chennai Central
  27. Visakhapatnam - Tirupati[140]
  28. Visakhapatnam - Shalimar[140]
  29. Chitrakoot - Prayagraj - Lucknow[146]
  30. Gorakhpur - Lucknow[131]
  31. Jammu - Srinagar[147]

Export

After the train's inauguration, Indian Railways reportedly received queries of interest from some countries in Southeast Asia and South America.[148] A board member of the Indian Railways stated that the train can be modified according to customer needs.[149][150] A railways official stated in November 2022 that the Ministry of Railways were preparing a roadmap to begin exports of Vande Bharat trainsets by 2026. Exports would only begin after 475 trainsets are built for domestic use.[151]

Indian Railways is constructing a 59 km (37 mi) long dedicated broad gauge track between Gudha and Thathana Mithri in the Jodhpur Division to conduct trial runs at speeds of up to 220 km/h (140 mph). The track is expected to be completed by January 2024.

See also

References
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