PM Modi flags off Vande Bharat Express train from Una in Himachal Pradesh

Tags: State News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the country’s fourth Vande Bharat Express train from Una railway station in Himachal Pradesh on 13 October 2022.

Important facts

• The train will run between Amb Andaura, Una in Himachal Pradesh and New Delhi.

• The train will help in promoting tourism in the region and provide a comfortable and fast mode of travel.

• The travel time from Una to New Delhi will now be reduced by two hours.

• This is the fourth Vande Bharat train to be introduced in the country and is an improved version as compared to the earlier, which is much lighter and capable of reaching higher speeds in a shorter duration.

Features of Vande Bharat 2 

• It will be equipped with more advancements and improved features like 0 to 100 Kmpl speed in just 52 seconds, maximum speed up to 180 Kmph, lesser weight of 392 tons instead of 430 tons, and WI-FI facility.

• The new Vande Bharat will also have 32-inch LCD TVs which were 24 inches in the earlier versions.

• The 15 percent more energy efficient AC with the dust free clean air cooling of the traction motor will make travel more comfortable.

• The facility of side recliner seats which is being provided to the executive class passengers will now be made available for all classes.

About Vande Bharat Express Train

• The first Vande Bharat Express was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 February 2019.

• These trains have a self-propelled engine which can save diesel and reduce electricity usage by up to 30%.

• The first Vande Bharat Express was manufactured by Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai.

• It was manufactured under the ‘Make in India’ programme, at a cost of about Rs 100 crore.

• Currently, two Vande Bharat Expresses are operational - first between New Delhi and Varanasi and the second from New Delhi to Katra.

• These trains can achieve a maximum speed of 160 kmph. 

• In the Union Budget for 2022-2023 the government has proposed the development and manufacture of 400 new Vande Bharat trains in the next three years.