Regular rail travel in India to get better with coaches of Vande Bharat standards, as per interim budget 2024-25 announcement
It was announced in today's interim budget of 2024-25 of the Govt. of India that forty thousand regular rail coaches (also called bogies) will be converted to Vande Bharat standards. This is a big news for railway travellers and for rail travel across India as this will enhance safety, convenience, and comfort while travelling in such trains.
What is Vande Bharat Train?
Vande Bharat Express trains are India's first-ever indigenously designed and manufactured semi-high speed trains that offer a more modern and comfortable rail travel experience. Vande Bharat trains are not only high speed trains, but they also have enhanced safety standards and world-class services.
Main features of Vande Bharat Trains
They have advanced features like :
- It has advanced safety systems such as KAVACH (a Train Collision Avoidance System), SPAD (Prevent Signal Passing At Danger) etc.
- faster acceleration with semi high-speed operation up to 160 kilometres per hour. It takes hardly 52 seconds to attain a speed of 100 kmph and 130 seconds to attain the maximum speed of 160 kmph.
- Fully Sealed Gangway for Free Passenger Movement
- Automatic Plug Doors
- Reclining Ergonomic Seats and Comfortable Seating with revolving seats in executive class,
- Better Riding Comfort
- Mobile charging sockets for every seat.
- Mini Pantry with provision of Hot Case, Bottle Cooler, Deep freezer & Hot Water Boiler
- Direct and Diffused Lighting.
- Special lavatory in DTC for Divyangjan passengers .
- Emergency openable Windows and fire extinguisher in each coach.
- CCTVs in all Coaches
- Emergency Alarm Push buttons and Talk Back Units on all Coaches.
- Better fire safety – Aerosol based fire detection and suppression system in electrical cabinets and lavatories
- Driver-Guard communication with voice recording facility & Crash hardened memory
- Coach Condition Monitoring System (CCMS) display with remote monitoring
- Disaster lights – 4 numbers in each coach in case of Emergency
- 4 platform side cameras including rear view cameras outside the coach.
As per December 2023 release by the Ministry of Railways, there are 35 Vande Bharat Express trains (meaning 70 services) across India. And 6 more Vande Bharat trains were announced to be launching soon, which would make it 82 Vande Bharat Express services across India.
As on 31st January 2024, there are 82 Vande Bharat train services across India, as per the information given by the Ministry of Railways on 7th February 2024.
Coming back to the interim budget announcement, in addition to the 40,000 normal rail bogies to be converted to Vande Bharat standards, 3 major economic railway corridor programmes under the PM Gati Shakti was also announced to be implemented, in which high traffic density corridors is one.
In other annpuncements related to travel and transportation sectors, it was informed that the number of airports in the country is doubled to 149, and that orders for over 1000 new aircraft was placed by Indian carriers.
In the tourism sector, it was announced that a rating framework would be set up that would rate tourist centres based on their quality of facilities and services.
Sources
- HIGHLIGHTS OF THE INTERIM UNION BUDGET 2024-25 - Ministry of Finance, PIB - Press Information Bureau, Govt. of India. Posted On: 01 FEB 2024 12:54PM by PIB Delhi
- Salient Features of Vande Bharat Express Trains - Ministry of Railways, PIB - Press Information Bureau, Govt. of India. Posted On: 02 AUG 2023 4:58PM by PIB Delhi.
- Indian Railways swiftly progressing on its transformational journey - Ministry of Railways, PIB - Press Information Bureau, Govt. of India. Posted On: 29 DEC 2023 5:43PM by PIB Delhi.
- 82 Vande Bharat Train Services Operational Across Indian Railways - Ministry of Railways, PIB - Press Information Bureau, Govt. of India. Posted On: 07 FEB 2024 4:08PM by PIB Delhi
