By February or March of next year, there will be three variations of the Vande Bharat train: the Vande Chair Car, the Vande Metro, and the Vande Sleepers, according to Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
The Integrated Coach Factory in Chennai is producing these domestic semi-high speed trains, which are being prepared to replace Shatabdis, Rajdhanis, and local trains.
The minister stated in an interview with PTI that upgraded railway tracks will be installed to support Vande Bharat trains’ top speed of 160 kmph during the next three to four years.
“Vande Bharat is available in three forms. Vande Metro is used for trips under 100 kilometres, Vande Chair Car for trips between 100 and 550 kilometres, and Vande Sleepers for trips over 550 kilometres. After the Vande Bharat train from Dehradun, Uttarakhand, to the Anand Vihar Terminal Railway Station in Delhi was launched, Vaishnaw stated that these three forms would be available by February or March of the following year.
Premier Narendra Modi started the Vande Bharat Express between Delhi and Dehradun.
The first such train for Uttarakhand cuts the travel time between the state capital Dehradun and the national capital to four and a half hours from the six hours and ten minutes it took the Dehradun-New Delhi Railway Station Shatabdi Express. It is outfitted with cutting-edge amenities for passengers.
According to Vaishnaw, the project to connect the rail lines between Rishikesh and Karnaprayag will be finished in two years. The railroads are also striving to connect border communities.
By mid-June, practically all states will have access to Vande Bharat trains, according to the ministry. He said that the manufacturing of these trains is being sped up.
The firm is producing a new train every eighth or ninth day. Two more facilities are about to begin production. Once their supply chain is established, we’ll have a new train leaving these factories, Vaishnaw promised.
Despite having a top speed limit of 160 kmph, Vande Bharat trains can operate at up to 130 kmph depending on the available track capacity.
“Old tracks were made to withstand speeds of 70 to 80 kmph. Tracks are being modified to support speeds of 110 kmph, 130 kmph, and 160 kmph for a total of 25,000–35,000 miles. It will be finished within the next three to four years, according to Vaishnaw.
According to him, 160 kmph Vande Bharat trains will be able to travel on 20,000–30,000 km of track by 2027–2028. He further mentioned that high speed train overhead electrical cables are also being updated.
According to Vaishnaw, the railway is constructing fence across the tracks to prevent cattle runover by trains.
“Fences now have a very distinctive design. There are two horizontal barriers, and the height is around five feet. Since its installation, there have been no cattle fatalities on the approximately 250-kilometer route between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. We are addressing every aspect of high-speed trains, he said.
According to the minister, the current railway budget has grown from Rs 1 lakh crore to Rs 2.4 lakh crore. It is increasing in accordance with the railroads’ ability to complete projects. The railroads’ capacity to carry out projects needs to be increased, according to Vaishnaw.
According to the minister, the railways are quickly putting up a rail connectivity scheme for border regions. According to Vaishnaw, steps are also being conducted to offer 4G-5G services to train passengers.
The minister claimed that the railroads are quickly erecting 4G and 5G towers. They have been set up in several locations, and work is ongoing, he said.
