PM Modi to flag off record nine Vande Bharat trains on Sept 24

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to virtually inaugurate nine Vande Bharat trains from the national capital on September 24.

This landmark event marks the largest single-day launch of Vande Bharat trains, connecting various destinations, including the crucial poll-bound states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

These new Vande Bharat trains make their debut nearly two months after the inauguration of the Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express and Jodhpur-Sabarmati Vande Bharat Express on July 7 this year.

The first among these new trains, sporting an eye-catching orange color scheme, will embark on a journey to South India, potentially along the Kasaragod-Trivandrum route. While eight of the nine Vande Bharat trains will maintain the classic blue and white color combination, the ninth one introduces a striking orange and white design. Furthermore, plans are in place for an additional 10 orange-white Vande Bharat trains.

The Vande Bharat trains are set to revolutionise rail travel on several routes, including Indore-Jaipur, Jaipur-Udaipur, Puri-Rourkela, Patna-Howrah, and Jaipur-Chandigarh. Earlier announcements included the Chennai-Tirunelveli, Ranchi-Howrah, Jamnagar-Ahmedabad, and Chennai-Hyderabad routes.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is expected to preside over the launch, either in Odisha or Rajasthan. The Puri-Rourkela Vande Bharat will be the second such service in Odisha, following the earlier launch of Puri-Howrah Vande Bharat.

The Patna-Howrah Vande Bharat Express, according to the East Central Railway, will depart from Patna at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, covering a distance of 531 km to reach Howrah.

This semi-high-speed train is anticipated to complete the journey in just 6 hours and 30 minutes, boasting an average speed of 82 kilometers per hour, with a maximum permitted speed of 130 km/h. Two stops are scheduled along the route, at Asansol Junction (ASN) and Jasidih Junction (JSME).

Bihar welcomes its second Vande Bharat Express after the Patna-Ranchi Vande Bharat, flagged off on June 27. The Patna-Howrah Vande Bharat Express underwent two trial runs on the same route on August 5 and August 12.

Officials have promised that these new Vande Bharat trains will offer more advanced and passenger-friendly features, including redesigned seats.

The seat color of the Executive Class has been changed from red to blue, and additional mobile charging points will be available along with

the seats. Meanwhile, in the southern region, the South