Malda: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (January 17) flagged off four new Amrit Bharat Express trains to enhance rail connectivity. The ceremony was held in West Bengal's Malda. These trains have a push-and-pull configuration and are non-air-conditioned, low-cost, sleeper and unreserved services connecting cities that are more than 800 km apart.
Notably, the push-pull mechanism enables quick braking and pickup. These trains can attain speeds of up to 130 kmph. The Prime Minister also flagged off the country's first Vande Bharat sleeper train between Howrah and Guwahati (Kamakhya).
The new Amrit Bharat Express trains will ply on the following routes:
New Jalpaiguri–Nagercoil
New Jalpaiguri–Tiruchirappalli
Alipurduar–SMVT Bengaluru
Alipurduar–Mumbai (Panvel)
New Jalpaiguri–Nagercoil Amrit Bharat Express route:
The Nagercoil–Jalpaiguri Amrit Bharat Express (Train No. 20604) will depart Rangapani at 1.45 pm on Saturday and is scheduled to arrive at Nagercoil at 7.15 pm on January 19. Within Tamil Nadu, the train will halt at Katpadi, Jolarpettai, Salem, Erode, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Pollachi, Udumalaipettai, Palani, Dindigul, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Sattur, Kovilpatti and Tirunelveli.
New Jalpaiguri–Tiruchirappalli Amrit Bharat Express route:
The Jalpaiguri–Tiruchirappalli Amrit Bharat Express (Train No. 20610) will also depart from Jalpaiguri at 1.45 pm on Saturday and is expected to reach Tiruchirappalli at 2.15 pm on January 19. The train will stop at Egmore, Tambaram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Chidambaram, Mayiladuthurai, Kumbakonam and Thanjavur en route.
SMVT Bengaluru–Alipurduar Amrit Bharat Express route:
The SMVT Bengaluru–Alipurduar Amrit Bharat Express (Train No. 16597) will depart from SMVT Bengaluru at 8.50 am on Saturday to reach Alipurduar at 10.25 am on Monday. The train will stop at Krishnarajapuram, Bangarapet, Kuppam, Jolarpettai, Katpadi, Renigunta, Nellore, Ongole, Chirala, Tenali, Vijayawada, Eluru, Rajahmundry, Samalkot, Anakapalle, Duvvada, Pendurti, Kottavalasa, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam Road, Palasa, Brahmapur, Balugaon, Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jajpur Keonjhar Road, Bhadrak, Balasore, Kharagpur, Andul, Dankuni, Barddhaman, Bolpur Shantiniketan, Rampurhat, Malda Town, Barsoi, Kishanganj, Aluabari Road, New Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, Binnaguri and Hasimara.
Alipurduar–Mumbai (Panvel) Amrit Bharat Express route:
The Alipurduar–Mumbai (Panvel) Amrit Bharat Express (Train No. 11031) will leave Panvel at 11.50 am on Monday to reach Alipurduar at 1.50 pm on Wednesday. The train will stop at Kalyan, Nasik Road, Jalgaon, Bhusaval, Itarsi, Pipariya, Jabalpur, Katni, Satna, Manikpur, Baragarh, Prayagraj Chheoki, Meja Road, Mirzapur, Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, Buxar, Ara, Danapur, Patliputra, Sonpur, Hajipur, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Hasanpur Road, Khagaria, Mansi, Naugachia, Katihar, Barsoi, Kishanganj, Aluabari Road, New Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, Binnaguri and Hasimara.
Key Features:
Notably, the Amrit Bharat Train entered commercial service on January 1, 2024. The trainset consists of two locomotives at both ends with a maximum operating speed of 110–130 km/h. The train has a total of 22 coaches.
Each coach will have four toiles - two Indian-style and two western-style. There are aerosol-based fire suppression systems installed in toilets and electrical compartments. There are charging points (type-A and type-C) for every berth. Passnegers are also getting the facility of mobile holders.
