Home Minister Amit Shah flags off Delhi-Katra Vande Bharat Express
Union Home Minister Amit Shah today flagged off the second Vande Bharat Express, India's fastest train, in the capital. He was accompanied by Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal, among others. The indigenously developed train, which can go up to a maximum speed of 160 kmph, will reduce travel time between Delhi and Katra by 4 hours. The first Vande Bharat Express runs between Delhi-Varanasi.
Navratri gift for my sisters, brothers of Jammu: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an official tweet, said that the new train will boost connectivity and spiritual tourism in the area. "A Navratri gift for my sisters and brothers of Jammu as well as devotees of Maa Vaishno Devi! The New Vande Bharat Express from New Delhi to Maa Vaishno Devi, Katra will improve connectivity as well as spiritual tourism," he wrote.
You can read the official tweet here
Railways is working toward achieving its targets: Shah at launch
After showing the green flag to the train at the New Delhi railway station, Shah said, "I'm proud that this Made-in-India train is being flagged-off from here today. The railways is working toward achieving its targets keeping in mind principles of speed, scale and service."
The train will start its commercial run from October 5
Coming to the train's schedule, it will start from New Delhi railway station at 6 AM to reach Katra at 2 PM. During the journey, the train will have stoppages at Ambala Cantonment, Ludhiana and Jammu Tawi for two minutes each. On its way back, the train will leave Katra at 3 PM and will reach New Delhi at 11 PM.
Minimum fare is Rs. 1,630; maximum fare is Rs. 3,014
The semi-high speed fully air-conditioned train boasts of some world-class features. It has a total of 16 coaches and is a high-tech energy efficient train. Features of the train include Wi-Fi facility, CCTV cameras, GPS-based passenger information system, infotainment system, automatic doors, roller blinds, automatic temperature control, one deep-freezer, LED lighting, charging points at every seat, and touch-free bio-vacuum toilet, among others.
