Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off the new Vande Bharat Express train in India today. The event took place in the presence of Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Minister of Tourism G Kishan Reddy. The semi-high-speed train on its new route connects Secunderabad with Visakhapatnam. With this inauguration, the train has now become operational on eight routes in India, introduced by Indian Railways. Earlier on Saturday, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw conducted a pre-launch inspection of the Vande Bharat train. 


COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

Reacting to the flagging off of Vande Bharat Express service by PM Modi on the auspicious occasion of Pongal, Vaishnaw on Saturday, said, "It`s a very big gift and I thank Prime Minister for this hugely popular train, a modern train, which is world-class, which will connect the two Telugu-speaking people and the major cities which are getting connected tomorrow. It will be a big boon for this region."


Also read: SOON, Vande Bharat Express between Delhi-Jaipur: Travel time to reduce below 2 hours


Vande Bharat Express train, connecting Secunderabad with Visakhapatnam, will be the first one connecting the Telugu-speaking states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, covering a distance of around 700 km, added the statement.



The train will have stoppages at Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, and Vijayawada stations in Andhra Pradesh and at Khammam, Warangal, and Secunderabad stations in Telangana. The indigenously designed train set of Vande Bharat Express is equipped with state-of-the-art passenger amenities. The statement added that it will provide rail users with a faster, more comfortable, and more convenient travel experience. 


Besides this new route, the Vande Bharat Express is also operating on other routes including New Delhi - Varanasi, ew Delhi - Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra,  Gandhinagar and Mumbai, New Delhi to Amb Andaura in Himachal Pradesh, Chennai-Mysuru, Nagpur-Bilaspur and Howrah - New Jalpaiguri.


(With ANI inputs)