Economy: Infrastructure; Railways;
Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the first Vande Bharat sleeper train later this month. It will ply between Guwahati and Kolkata.
- The 16-coach train, with a capacity of 823 passengers, has a design speed of upto 180 kmph. It has 11 three-tier and four two-tier AC coaches, and a first-class AC coach.
- The third-AC fare will be ₹2,300, second AC ₹3,000, and first AC ₹3,600.
- The train boasts ergonomically designed berths with improved cushioning, automatic doors, and enhanced ride comfort with superior suspension and noise reduction.
- Safety measures include Kavach, an indigenously developed, high-tech automatic train protection system designed to prevent collision, advanced controls, and safety systems inside the driver’s cabin.
- There will be CCTV cameras on all coaches, and specially designed seats for passengers with disabilities, he said.
- The districts that will benefit from this service include Kamrup Metropolitan and Bongaigaon in Assam and Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri, Maldah, Murshidabad, Purba Bardhaman, Hooghly, and Howrah in West Bengal.
- Assamese cuisine will be served aboard when the train originates from Guwahati and Bengali cuisine on its return journey.
Bullet train
- The Minister also announced that the country’s first bullet train would be ready in August 2027, and the route would be opened in a phased manner. The first section to open will be from Surat to Bilimora, followed by Vapi to Surat, Vapi to Ahmedabad, Thane to Ahmedabad, and finally Mumbai to Ahmedabad.
- The 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor has been steadily progressing, with significant work completed on viaducts, bridges, tunnels, and stations. The corridor will see speeds of up to 320 kmph and is set to reduce travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to two hours.