New Delhi: In good news for commuters, during a recent update, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw revealed the government’s plan to connect major cities within 100 kilometres of each other through a metro rail network called ‘Vande Metro’.
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This development follows the successful introduction of the semi-high-speed train, Vande Bharat Express, in various cities across the country. The Ministry of Railways is currently working on the implementation of the Vande Metro rail network, which aims to connect big cities with short distances, as announced by the Railways Minister on Thursday.
What is Vande Metro?
Vande Metro will be a different format of Vande Bharat and will be built in a format that trains with very high frequency can ply between cities with a distance of fewer than 100 km and they’re comfortable-affordable.
“Vande Metro is being built with the concept that trains can run at a very high frequency, i.e., 4 or 5 times a day in cities with a distance of fewer than 100 kilometres, which is very comfortable and affordable. The train will be ready by December” said Ashwini Vaishnav.
He said that the plan to run Vande Bharat Metro has been prepared on the basis of the response received by Vande Bharat.
Vande Bharat Route
The Vande Metro will be operated between cities with short distances between them, unlike the Vande Bharat Express trains that usually run between cities with large distances. Most of the Vande Bharat Trains currently operational in India cover a distance of around 500 km during their journey.
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The Railway Minister earlier revealed that these trains will be operated between cities that are around 100 km apart. Speculations are that the services of the train will begin first between Kanpur and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh which is around 90 km of distance.
Vande Bharat to help Job seekers, Students
“This will enable job seekers and students to get world-class transport from one city to another while saving time. Along with this, it will also help in reducing the pressure of congestion on local trains,” he added.
The upcoming Vande Metro trains are anticipated to have eight coaches. The officials of Integral Coach Factory in Chennai and Research Design and Standard Organisation in Lucknow have reportedly been given orders to expedite the roll-out of the metro.
High-Speed Test Track for Indian Railways
The railway minister also revealed details about the High-Speed Test Track which has been constructed for the first time in order to speed up the manufacturing of high-speed trains.
“The test track consists of several facilities wherein the train and the signaling system are tested on different parameters. Work on the test track is progressing at a fast pace. It will benefit us a lot. Today, Vande Bharat is being discussed a lot, and India will emerge as its exporter in the coming times. For this, all the work of testing and testing must be on the test track,” he added.
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Additionally, a 4.5 km-long twisted track for stability testing of rolling stocks has been completed, while the work on a 3 km accelerated testing loop and a 31.5 km high-speed stretch is currently underway and set to be finished by December.
“Work on the test track is progressing at a fast pace. It will benefit a lot,” Vaishnaw stated. He predicted that India will soon start exporting its Vande Bharat trains. “For this, all the work of testing and testing must be on the test track,” he added.
