New Vande Bharat Trains: In a positive development for commuters, the Indian Railways has announced the addition of four more Vande Bharat Express trains from Pune, increasing the city’s total to six. This initiative aims to provide greater relief to passengers by enhancing travel efficiency, comfort, and convenience.
New Vande Bharat Routes from Pune:
- Pune to Shegaon
- Pune to Vadodara
- Pune to Secunderabad
- Pune to Belagavi
Fare Details:
- Pune-Kolhapur Route: A one-way ticket costs ₹560, while the fare for a special coach is ₹1,135. This train operates three times a week—on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.
- Pune-Hubballi Route: The standard seating fare is ₹1,530, and the special coach fare is ₹2,780.
Total Vande Bharat Trains Introduced in 2024:
Indian Railways has launched over 30 new Vande Bharat Express trains this year, raising the total count to 136 by the end of 2024. This expansion marks a significant step toward the ambitious goal of connecting all major cities and regions with indigenous train services.
Following the success of its Vande Bharat chair car trains, Indian Railways is gearing up to introduce 200 sleeper versions of these high-speed trains. A senior railway official confirmed that the first rake of the sleeper train has been rolled out for simulation testing. “Production of 10 sleeper trains is underway as part of the broader plan to launch 200 such trains,” the official stated.
The first prototype of the sleeper rake, manufactured by BEML, was rolled out from the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai after stringent quality checks. These sleeper trains are currently undergoing loaded simulation trials to evaluate their performance at speeds of 130 kmph and 180 kmph under diverse conditions, according to officials.
The Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in Lucknow is supervising these trials to assess the train’s stability and performance with varying loads. The sleeper trains are designed to run at speeds of up to 180 kmph and will consist of 16 coaches, accommodating passengers in Class I, II, and III configurations.
