Patna (Bihar): The trial run of the Patna-Ranchi Vande Bharat Express started from here on Monday, a senior official said. The train left Bihar's capital Patna at 6.55 am and is scheduled to reach Jharkhand's capital Ranchi at 1 pm. On its return journey, it will leave Ranchi at 2.20 pm and arrive here at 8.25 pm, said Birendra Kumar, the Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of East Central Railway (ECR) zone, Hajipur.
The train will pass through tunnels and railway bridges between Sidhwar (Ramgarh) and Sanki (Ranchi). It will halt at Gaya and Barkakana stations. The 27-km stretch between Sidhwar and Sanki has four tunnels, the longest being 1.7-km-long, while three others are around 600 metres each.
Earlier, the trial run was slated for June 11, but it was rescheduled to Monday because of the two-day state bandh called by a student group in Jharkhand. More trial runs will be conducted between Barkakana and Ranchi. The commissioner of railway safety (CRS) in Kolkata had conducted a safety inspection and speed trial on the 27-km stretch between Sidhwar and Sanki and had given the nod to operationalise the new route between Koderma and Ranchi via Barkakana in December last.
The trial run is being done for the purpose of checking complete safety before regular operation. In up and down direction, it will operate via Jehanabad, Gaya, Barkakan, Koderma, Hazaribagh Town and Mesra. During the trial run, the train will operate at high speed. Therefore, the railway administration has appealed to the people to maintain proper distance from the railway track. Also, the farmers are asked to keep their cattle away from the railway track.
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Once the Vande Bharat Express is launched, people can travel from Patna to Ranchi in just 6 hours. The time required for the journey between Patna and Ranchi will be significantly reduced. It has also been made quite comfortable and state-of-the-art. After the trial run, it is believed that its operation may also start next month. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to give the green signal for the train.
