Vande Metro: Indian Railway Gears Up To Roll Out High-Speed New Intercity Train With 130 kmph Operational Capability

In positive development towards enhancing India's railway infrastructure, the Indian Railway is gearing another step towards unveiling the Vande Metro. Inspired by the success of the Vande Bharat Express, the Vande Metro or Vande Bharat Metro is a new breed of trains designed for short distance intercity level, for a faster and comfortable journey for the commuters.

According to reports, the first trial run of this project is scheduled in July 2024, which will be of shorter distance of 100 to 250 kilometers.

About Vande Metro

Last year, in February 2023, the Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced about the project.

Currently, two prototypes are under construction, one at RCF Kapurthala and another at ICF Chennai and is slated to complete soon and will undergo rigorous testing before their official launch.

Features

It is a self-propelled train set which doesn't require a separate locomotive to pull it and will operate at a top speed of 130 kmph, setting a new standard for Mainline EMU trains.

Moreover, the coaches of the metro will be of fully air-conditioned interiors with modern amenities and includes spacious gangways, dust-free environments, and lightweight aluminum luggage racks. In each coach, it will have a facility of 100 seated passenger accommodation and standing room for an additional 200 travelers.

It also features like automatic entry and exit doors, mobile charging sockets, and state-of-the-art Passenger Information Systems equipped with LCD displays and also adds safety features such as the KAVACH anti-collision system.

According to reports, at the initial phase the Vande Metro is expected to operate on routes such as Lucknow-Kanpur, Agra-Mathura, Delhi-Rewari, Bhubaneswar-Balasore, and Tirupati-Chennai, bridging distance of 100 to 250 kms and linking 124 key cities nationwide.