Mumbai: The Vande Bharat trains have changed the concept of mobility in India, so much so that the Railway Board is planning to introduce similarly designed local trains in Mumbai. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Feb 1, had also announced the Vande Metro concept for inter-city commute. He had said that ‘Made in India’ Vande Metro trains would be ready by December this year and ready to roll out by 2024, which happens to be the Lok Sabha election year.
Vande Locals are another mini version of the popular concept and will give passengers higher speeds and comfort. Notably, the air-conditioned (AC) locals are already gaining popularity in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
On Friday, Divisional Railway Manager of Central Railway, Rajnish Goyal announced, “The Railway Board is exploring the possibility of running Vande Bharat-type local trains in the city.”
A Vande Bharat equivalent Vande Metro
Vaishnaw had said in February, “Around big cities, there are large habitations from where people would like to come to the big city for work or leisure, and go back to their home place. For that, we are coming up with a Vande Bharat equivalent Vande Metro. This year the design and production will be completed, and in the next financial year, a ramp-up of production of the train will be done. They will be a rapid shuttle-like experience for passengers.”
The concept of Vande Metro is said to be similar to that of ‘Regional Trans’ trains of Europe. They will be similar to local trains but will travel much faster. It is going to be a rapid train that will give passengers a world-class shuttle-like experience.
According to sources, pitching for faster and hassle-free connectivity, the railways has decided to offer two types of Vande Metro services – Vande Metro Rapid and Vande Metro Regional – for intra-city and intercity travellers across the country.
In Mumbai, over 3,000 suburban services are operated every day by Central and Western Railway, which are being used by more than 70 lakh passengers.
