Southern Railway gets Vande Bharat rake, to be flagged off by PM on November 10

Four years after Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, rolled out the first rake of the semi-high-speed train set Vande Bharat, Southern Railway was allotted its first rake.
Vande Bharat rake will replace the Chennai -Mysuru Shatabdi Express | Express
Vande Bharat rake will replace the Chennai -Mysuru Shatabdi Express | Express

CHENNAI: Four years after Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, rolled out the first rake of the semi-high-speed train set Vande Bharat, Southern Railway was allotted its first rake.

The first train set of Vande Bharat, an upgraded version, is to be introduced on the Chennai - Bengaluru - Mysuru section replacing the existing Shatabdi Express. The train is to be flagged by the Prime Minister on November 10 and the inaugural function is expected to be conducted in Bengaluru or Mysuru, according to railway sources.

However, the travel time may not come down immediately as the track upgradation work to run the trains at 130 kmph is yet to be completed in the 214 km Chennai - Jolarpettai section. The speed limit of trains in Jolarpettai - Bengaluru - Mysuru (283 km) section too has not been enhanced, said officials from South Western Railway. Shatabdi Express covers 497 km from Chennai to Mysuru within seven hours and the return journey in 7 hours and 15 minutes.

The Vande Bharat train can be operated at 160 kmph. The maximum permitted sectional speed between Chennai - Mysuru is 110 kmph. On Thursday, Southern Railway officials headed by General Manager B G Mallaya held a meeting to increase the speed of trains and on Saturday, the GM and Chennai DRM will conduct a speed test in Chennai - Jolarpettai section.

At present, trains are running at a restricted speed of 50 to 70 kmph on river bridges and few other places in the 143 km Arakkonam - Jolarpettai section. “There are a few speed restrictions in Chennai - Jolarpettai section. Interdepartmental teams are working on enhancing the speed in a few sections,” said a railway official.

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