South India's first Vande Bharat Express trial run begins, formal launch on Nov 11

The Chennai-Mysore Vande Bharat Express, the first such indigenously-built high-speed rail in the southern part of India, began its trial run at MG Ramachandran Central Railway station in Chennai on Monday.

Mysore:The Chennai-Mysore Vande Bharat Express trial run began at MG Ramachandran Central Railway station in Chennai on Monday. The Express train, the first such indigenously-built high-speed rail in the southern part of India and the country's fifth, will be flagged off by PM Modi on November 11.

The first Vande Bharat Express train was flagged off on February 15, 2019, on the New Delhi-Kanpur-Allahabad-Varanasi route. The government has dedicated significant efforts towards strengthening the 'Make in India' campaign, and Vande Bharat Express is one of its success stories.

Speed, safety, and service are the hallmarks of Vande Bharat Express. Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, a Railways Production unit, has been the force behind the system integration of these rails in just 18 months. It can run up to a maximum speed of 160 kmph and has travel classes like Shatabdi Train but with a better travel experience for passengers. This train is the next major leap for Indian Railways in terms of speed and convenience.

It can achieve high speeds due to faster acceleration and deceleration and will reduce journey time by 25 to 45 percent. Besides, all coaches are equipped with automatic doors; a GPS-based audio-visual passenger information system, onboard hotspot Wi-Fi for entertainment purposes, and very comfortable seating. The executive class also has rotating chairs.

The lighting is dual mode, diffused for general illumination and personal for every seat. The side recliner seat facility which is being provided to Executive Class passengers will now be made available for all classes. The Executive Coaches have the added feature of 180-degree rotating seats. The train will also have bio-vacuum toilets with touch-free amenities.

Every coach has a pantry with facilities to serve hot meals and cold beverages. The insulation is meant to keep heat and noise to very low levels for additional passenger comfort. Each Vande Bharat Express has a total seating capacity of 1,128 passengers.

Akhila Ranjan, Head of the Railway Technical Department said, "The testing of this train is successful and there are no technical problems. Vande Bharat Express is indigenously developed." Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that 400 new-generation Vande Bharat trains will be developed and manufactured during the next three years.