Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off two new Vande Bharat trains from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus today.
The new and upgraded version of Vande Bharat Express will run between Mumbai and Solapur and Mumbai and Sainagar Shirdi.
Mumbai-Solapur train, the ninth Vande Bharat train to be launched in the country will connect the country's commercial capital to the City of Textiles and Hutatmas in Maharashtra and ensure faster connectivity to pilgrimage centres such as Siddheshwar in Solapur, Akkalkot, Tuljapur, Pandharpur near Solapur and Alandi near Pune.
According to Railways, the existing superfast train takes 7 hours 55 minutes while Vande Bharat will complete the same journey in 6 hours 30 minutes, thus saving 1 hour 30 minutes of travel time. It will also connect pilgrimage centres, textile hub, tourist sites and the education hub of Pune.
The 10th Vande Bharat Train in the country, the Mumbai-Sainagar Shirdi Vande Bharat Express will boost connectivity to important pilgrimage centres in Maharashtra's Nashik, Trimbakeshwar, Sainagar Shirdi, and Shani Singapur.
Vande Bharat Schedule, Ticket Prices
Mumbai-Solapur Vande Bharat Express
While CSMT-Solapur Train 22225 will run six days a week and remain operational on Wednesday. While train 22226 plying on the route will remain non-functional on Thursdays.
Time: The Mumbai-Solpaur Vande Bharat will begin at 4.05pm on February 11 arrive at Solpaur the same night at 10.40 pm. Meanwhile Train 22226 will leave from Solapur at 6.05 am and reach CSMT at 12.35 pm.
Halts: Dadar, Kalyan, Pune and Kurduwadi.
Mumbai-Shirdi Vande Bharat Express
Train number 22223 to ply on the CSMT-Shirdi route will reportedly begin on February 12 at 6.20 am and it will reach the religious city at 11.40 am. The other train 22224 will depart from Shirdi at 5.25 pm starting February 11 and reach Mumbai by 10.50 pm the same day.
Both trains will be non-functional on Tuesday,
Halts: Dadar, Thane, Nashik Road
Ticket prices
The one-way fare without catering service on the CSMT-Solapur Vande Bharat train will be Rs 1,000 for chair car and Rs 2,015 for executive chair car, while the fares for the two classes with catering will be Rs 1,300 and Rs 2,365, respectively, a CR official told PTI.
The one-way journey ticket without catering service for CSMT to Sainagar Shirdi will be Rs 840 and Rs 1670 for chair car and executive chair car, respectively, while the ticket prices with catering service will be Rs 975 and Rs 1840, respectively, he added.
According to the officials, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his deputy Devendra Fadnavis and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, among other dignitaries, will be present at the CSMT function.
PM Modi to inaugurate road projects
The Prime Minister will also inaugurate Vakola-Kurla and MTNL-LBS (Lal Bahadur Shastri) elevated corridor arms on Santacruz-Chembur Link Road, a key east-west corridor in the city, and a vehicular underpass at Kurar in the northern suburb of Malad. These arms connect the Western Express Highway to the Eastern Express Highway.
The Kurar underpass is crucial to ease traffic on WEH and connect Malad and Kurar sides of the busy highway. It will allow pedestrians to cross the road with ease and also vehicles to move without having to get onto the heavy traffic on WEH.
New campus of Saifee Academy's Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah to be unveiled by PM
Later in the day, Modi will inaugurate a new campus of Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah (The Saifee Academy), the principal educational institute of the Dawoodi Bohra community, at Marol in suburban Andheri and dedicate infrastructure projects to the nation.
Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah is working to protect the learning traditions and literary culture of the community.
PM Modi's second visit to city
The Feb 10 visit of PM Modi is his second visit in a month. In January, the Prime Minister visited the city for inauguration and foundation laying ceremony of infrastructure and healthcare projects worth over Rs 38,000 crores.
His visit assumes significance in view of the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls.
