In a major boost to railway connectivity in the Pune region, the Railway Board has announced the introduction of two new eight coach Vande Bharat trains including Pune - Hubli and Kolhapur- Pune.
However date of starting of regular services yet to announced, but according to sources inaugural run of theses Vande Bharat trains will be flag off by prime minister Narendra Modi on 16th September via video link from Ahmedabad. The new services include routes linking Kolhapur, Hubballi, and Pune enhancing travel options for passengers.
Apart from that a new 20 coach Vande Bharat train between Nagpur and Secunderabad also notified by the railway board on 12th September. FPJ has the copy of notifications.
The inauguration of these new Vande Bharat trains is expected to be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video link from Ahmedabad on 16th September. These additions are set to enhance rail connectivity, providing faster and more comfortable travel options for passengers in the region.
Kolhapur-Pune Vande Bharat Express
The Kolhapur-Pune Vande Bharat Express, an 8-coach train, will operate three days a week. The service will run on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Mondays from Kolhapur, and on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays from Pune. Train number 20673 will depart Kolhapur at 8:15 AM, reaching Pune at 1:30 PM. The return journey, operated by train number 20674, will leave Pune at 2:15 PM and arrive in Kolhapur at 7:40 PM. The train will make stops at Miraj, Sangli, Kirloskarvadi, Karad, and Satara. Primary maintenance for this train will be handled at Hubballi.
Hubballi-Pune Vande Bharat Express
Another new service, the Hubballi-Pune Vande Bharat Express, will also consist of 8 coaches and run three days a week. This train will operate on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays from Hubballi, and on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Mondays from Pune. Train number 20669 will depart Hubballi at 5:00 AM, arriving in Pune at 1:30 PM. The return train, number 20670, will leave Pune at 2:15 PM and reach Hubballi at 10:45 PM. It will stop at Dharwad, Belagavi, Miraj, Sangli, and Satara. Maintenance for this train will be conducted at Hubballi.
Nagpur-Secunderabad Vande Bharat Express
The Nagpur-Secunderabad Vande Bharat Express, a 20-coach train, will run six days a week. Departing from Nagpur at 5:00 AM, it will reach Secunderabad at 12:15 PM. The return journey will see the train depart from Secunderabad at 1:00 PM and arrive in Nagpur at 8:20 PM. This service will halt at Sevagram, Chandrapur, and Ballarshah. Maintenance for this train will be carried out at Nagpur.
Apart from that On September 16, the New Delhi-Varanasi Vande Bharat will also receive a significant upgrade, with four additional coaches being added to increase its capacity from 16 to 20 coaches. In addition to this upgrade, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also likely to flagg off two more Vande Bharat trains on same day , including on the Agra-Banaras and Raipur ( Durg) - Vishakhapatnam Vande Bharat train via video link. Similarly Bhuj - Ahmedabad Vande Metro will be also likely to flag off by Modi on same day.
