Train journeys between Mumbai and Shirdi are set to become more pleasant with the Central Railways (CR) introducing the Vande Bharat train on the route. Authorities will also begin a Vande Bharat service to Solapur, with both train services likely to be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Feb 10.
The CSMT-Solapur Vande Bharat service was supposed to begin on Jan 19 but the launch was postponed. According to Sources, the flagging-off ceremony is yet to be approved by the Prime Minister's Office, but CR authorities have already begun preparations, with senior CR officers visiting CSMT on Sunday to review the situation.
The Vande Bharat rakes for the new services are expected to come in the first week of February, after which route trails will be conducted. These will be the 9th and 10th Vande Bharat trains, and the 7th and 8th of the upgraded Vande Bharat-II version. The CSMT-Shirdi Sainagar Express will cover the distance between the cities in under 6 hours while the CSMT-Solapur train will cover the distance in 6.5 hours.
The new version of the Vande Bharat train can accelerate from 0-100 km per hour in just 52 seconds and has a maximum speed of 180 kmph. The air conditioning system is 15% more energy efficient. Also, the side recliner seat facility, which was provided only to executive class passengers earlier, will now be made available for all classes. The executive coaches have the added feature of 180-degree rotating seats.
