BENGALURU: To loud chants of 'Bharat Mata ki jai' & hundreds of camera clicks from bystanders on Platform 6 of the Yesvantpur railway station, the inaugural Vande Bharat Express from Kacheguda station in Hyderabad chugged into PF 6 of Yesvantpur station in Bengaluru on Sunday night 10.53 pm.
This is the third Vande Bharat that will run through the South Western Railway Zone and the first one to connect the two tech cities of South India.
The train departed from Kacheguda at 1.24 pm and took nearly 8.30 hrs to complete the 610 km trip. When it entered the station, Rajya Sabha MP Lehar Singh Saroya, MLC Devegowda, DRM Yogesh Mohan and other top Bengaluru Division officials were at the platform to receive it.
Rail enthusiasts, bloggers, YouTubers and railway officials were among the 400-odd passengers who boarded the inaugural train at various stations en route.
Among the delighted passengers on board was Dr A Kavita, Assistant Professor at a college in Bengaluru. "I boarded at Dharmavaram. It has been a wonderful experience. It is so superior technologically and is taking India to a different level globally."
Pusphender, a final-year student at ASC Degree College said, "I will call it a perfect experience. And a wonderful way to connect Bengaluru and Hyderabad."
Content creator Sandeep Kumar took the train for professional reasons. "The reclining facility provided even in Chair Cars is commendable. It has been a very good experience."
The commercial operations begin from Yesvantpur at 2.45 pm on Monday.
Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Krishna Chaitanya told TNIE, "We already have 70 per cent booking done in the Executive chair car section and 22 per cent done for Chair Car for the first commercial run on Monday. These are booking figures upto 3 pm on Sunday. The number will definitely shoot up before the train departs."
Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Technical, A Mathur told TNIE, "The train has a superior suspension system. The acceleration it has is among the best in the world."
ADRM, Administration, Kusuma Hariprasad, said, "Vande Bharat trains are superior in safety and speed. It will be preferred by those commuting between the twin IT cities."
Bookings can done on the IRCTC website. The fares are as follows: Form YPR to KCG (Tr no. 20704): Chair Car Rs 1540 & Executive Chair: Rs 2865. From KCG to YPR (Tr no. 20703): Chair Car: Rs 1600 & Executive Chair: Rs 2915.