India’s fastest train, the Vande Bharat Express is running successfully on 25 routes across India. Every single one of these semi-high-speed trains was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself, revealing the importance of these modern and fast trains for the current BJP regime.
However, there has been a dry spell of two months ever since the last Vande Bharat train was flagged off by PM Modi in July 2023. In between, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Railway Minister of India revealed the new Saffron coloured Vande Bharat Express.
Media reports now suggest that the Indian Railways is now preparing to launch 9 Vande Bharat Express trains soon. The rakes to run on these 9 trains are being readied by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) Chennai. Of these, poll-bound Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh will get the maximum trains. The Ministry of Railways is expected to host a big event and launch a number of trains together.
Tentative upcoming Vande Bharat Express routes:
- Route 1: Indore – Jaipur Vande Bharat Express
- Route 2: Jaipur-Udaipur Vande Bharat Express
- Route 3: Puri – Rourkela Vande Bharat Express
- Route 4: Patna-Howrah Vande Bharat Express
- Route 5: Jaipur-Chandigarh Vande Bharat Express
These five routes of the Vande Bharat Express have already been assigned, while three routes have been assigned to the Southern Railways, however, the names are yet to be finalised. It’s not yet clear where the last Vande Bharat Express will be deployed.