The new Vande Bharat Express was inaugurated on Friday, September 30. The train, which is faster, quieter and fancier, can cover the distance between Ahmedabad and Mumbai in just five hours and 45 minutes. Here’s all you need to know about this train. By Anushka Goel
On Friday, September 30, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the third Vande Bharat train, called the Vande Bharat Express. The train, which will ply between Mumbai and Gandhinagar, has several interesting features, but the most important is its speed. The Express has become the fastest train to connect the two cities.
Vande Bharat Express: All you need to know
The Vande Bharat trains were first launched in 2019, on the Delhi-Varanasi and Delhi-Katra routes. The train launched on September 30 is the 2.0 version, and the third in the series. Among the key features of the train is that it makes 100 times less noise than an airplane, said the Prime Minister at the event. “The noise inside an aeroplane is 100 times more than that inside the Vande Bharat train. It is difficult to talk inside an aeroplane. But I was able to easily talk inside the train. There was no noise. It means that if air travellers get to know of the noise feature, I can say for sure that they will opt for the Vande Bharat train instead of aeroplane,” he told the audience, writes Indian Express.
The Express is the first such train in Gujarat, and covers the distance between Ahmedabad and Mumbai in just five hours and 45 minutes – by far the fastest in the country. The train is also bigger, and will be able to accommodate more passengers.
The Vande Bharat Express will run between Gandhinagar and Mumbai six days a week, from Monday to Saturday. The train has 16 coaches, writes Indian Express, and can seat 1,128 passengers. Further, the Express also has two spacious coaches – the AC Chair Car (CC) and Executive Chair Car (EC). all seats are recliners, an those travelling in the EC will get 180 degree rotating seats, the report adds. Thus, this coach comes at a higher ticket price.
The train fare between Mumbai and Gandhinagar is INR 1,385 for the Chair Car and INR 2,505 for Executive Class. The Express halts at Surat, Vadodara Junction and Ahmedabad Junction, before reaching Gandhinagar Capital.
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Related: More Luxurious And Quicker: Vande Bharat Train Gets An Upgrade And Makes New Speed Record