PM Narendra Modi says people will prefer Vande Bharat Express over planes, to reduce travel time

After flagging off the third Vande Bharat train between Gandhinagar and Mumbai Prime Minister Narendra Modi boarded the train for the experience and hence talked about how he felt, reports ANI.

Image for representation

The new Vande Bharat Express train from Gandhinagar to Mumbai was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. He then boarded the fast train and travelled to Kalupur station in Ahmedabad. The Prime Minister stated at today's flag-off ceremony that after experiencing the Vande Bharat trains, people would prefer them to aircraft. "Vande Bharat makes 100 times less noise inside the train than an aeroplane. People who are used to travelling on flights will prefer the Vande Bharat train once they get to experience it," Modi said after flagging off the Gandhinagar-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express.

"The train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai will make travel between two big cities of the country comfortable and reduce the distance between them," he added. Further, he said, "today is a big day for India in the 21st century, for urban connectivity and for India to become self-reliant."He announced that under the FAME ( Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles in India) scheme, 7,000 electric buses had been approved in the country.

Under the FAME scheme, electric buses will be manufactured for poor, middle-class comrades in cities to get rid of smoky buses. He added that India of the 21st century will get new momentum from the country's cities.

With changing times, it is necessary to modernize our cities with the changing needs continuously. The system of transport in the city should be modern, there should be seamless connectivity, and one means of transport should support the other; it is necessary to do this, he further said. Today`s India considers speed, speed important, and fast development as a guarantee. 

The prime minister stated that this request for speed is also visible in the Gatishakti National Master Plan today. It also appears in the National Logistics Policy, And this is also evident in the drive to increase the speed of our railways. he further stated. Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Gandhinagar-Mumbai Central Vande Bharat Express train at Gandhinagar on Friday.PM Modi is currently on a two-day visit to Gujarat.

This is the third Vande Bharat train in the country; the other two are between New Delhi - Varanasi and New Delhi - Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra. The new Vande Bharat Express train will run between Gandhinagar and Mumbai, connecting the state capitals of Gujarat and Maharashtra. The train will run 6 days a week, except Sunday.

The Vande Bharat train 20901, from Mumbai Central, will depart at 6.10am to reach Gandhinagar at 12.30pm, officials said, adding that the return train- 20902 to Mumbai will depart Gandhinagar Capital station at 2.05pm to reach Mumbai Central at 8.35pm. Officials also said that the train with 16 coaches has a seating capacity of 1,128 passengers and will halt at three stations: Surat, Vadodara, and Ahmedabad, before reaching Gandhinagar Capital station.

The new Vande Bharat trains would have improved features, including reclining seats, automatic fire sensors, CCTV cameras, on-demand content with wifi Facility, three-hour battery backup, and GPS systems to make travelling safer and more comfortable.

The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai has set a target of manufacturing 75 Vande Bharat trains by August 2023. The trains also has a photocatalytic ultraviolet air purification system in the roof-mounted package unit (RMPU) for air purification.

As recommended by Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO), Chandigarh, this system is designed and installed on both ends of RMPU to filter and clean the air free from germs, bacteria, viruses, etc. coming through fresh air and return air.

Travelling in the new trains would be more comfortable compared to the two currently operational trains. The reason is that the coaches of the new trains will be lighter than those of older trains. The train's weight has been reduced by 38 to 392 tonnes and can continue functioning even with two feet of flood waters on the tracks. These are made of stainless steel. Due to less weight, the passengers would feel extra comfortable even at high speed.

The pilot operates automatic gates. The windows are wide; there is more space for the luggage. The toilet installed will be advanced. Most of the parts of the trains are "Made in India" except for a few small parts.

Vande Bharat Express is a new-age train redefining passenger travelling in India."The Vande Bharat Express offers a myriad of superior amenities which will provide passengers with an aircraft-like travelling experience and advanced state-of-the-art safety features, including Kavach technology - an indigenously developed Train Collision Avoidance System," CPRO of Western Railway zone, Sumit Thakur said. 

(With inputs from ANI)