According to officials, the four semi-high speed Vande Bharat Express trains that operate on the Western Railway (WR) networks are almost completely booked due to their excellent cleanliness, comfort, ambience and design.
The Vande Bharat Expresses, which run on the Mumbai-Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad (Sabarmati)-Jamnagar, Ahmedabad-Jodhpur and Indore- Bhopal-Nagpur sectors, are popular with passengers, according to WR Chief Spokesperson Sumit Thakur.
“The passengers have appreciated the comfort level of the Vande Bharat trains, the plush interiors, the variety of healthy, delicious food served and the reduced travel time as compared to other trains. They have equated the journey by Vande Bharat trains to travelling by aircraft with fewer hassles of check-in and more economical pricing,” said Thakur.
According to him, the Vande Bharat Express trains serve as a catalyst for both business and tourism growth by connecting important business hubs like Mumbai, Surat and Ahmedabad, industrial centers like Vapi, Valsad, Jamnagar, Sanand and Nagpur, tourist destinations like Jodhpur, Abu Road and religious locations like Ujjain, Indore, Sabarmati and Palanpur.
Since its launch on September 30, 2022, the Mumbai-Gandhinagar service has experienced an average occupancy rate of over 130 percent. The age group of 31 to 45 years old, which makes up over 33 percent of all passengers, is followed by the 46 to 60 age group (25 percent) and the 15 to 30 age group (24 percent). Senior citizens account for 14 percent of the passenger population and even more women are lining up to travel on the Vande Bharat Express.