HYDERABAD: The much-awaited Vande Bharat Express train will finally reach the State capital by February 2023 with the Ministry of Railways planning to operate this semi-high-speed train between Secunderabad and Visakhapatnam.
Though the Indian Railways has cleared the proposal to operate Vande Bharat Express between Secunderabad and Vijayawada, plans are afoot to extend it up to Visakhapatnam as it will benefit rail passengers of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
The train will stop at major stations such as Warangal, Vijayawada and Rajahmundry. According to sources, a study will be undertaken on the feasibility of operating the train between Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam.
PM Modi to launch?
The train comprising a chair car with a better version of high-end technology is likely to be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At present, Vande Bharat Express trains connect New Delhi with Varanasi and Vaishno Devi in northern Jammu, and Mysuru and Chennai via Bengaluru.
In fact, Hyderabad may become one of the major hubs for the 400 new-generation Vande Bharat Express trains, connecting most of the major and medium-sized cities in the next three years. Vande Bharat Express is designed and manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) at Perambur in Chennai under the Make in India initiative.
Speed constraints
The cost of one rake is over Rs 100 crore. It has a maximum commercial speed of 160 kmph. Though it exceeded 180 kmph during testing, the tracks are not capable of supporting such high speeds, thus the train is operated at a maximum speed of 130 kmph. It has 16 passenger cars, with a seating capacity of more than 1,100.
The chassis of a coach is 23 metres long, and the frame of the train is made entirely of stainless steel. Over 80 per cent of the components that go into the making of Vande Bharat are indigenous. It features a GPS-based passenger information system, bio-vacuum toilets, and rotational seats which can be aligned in the direction of travel.