Indian Railways is set to introduce the 35th Vande Bharat Express, which will establish a new connection between the industrial city of Tatanagar in Jharkhand and the spiritual city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. This particular Vande Bharat Express will be the second train to link Varanasi, with the first one connecting it to New Delhi and holding the distinction of having the highest average speed among all Vande Bharat Express trains operating in the country. Currently, 34 Vande Bharat Express trains operate across various parts of India.
The new Vande Bharat Express will operate six days a week and will consist of an eight-coach rake, as opposed to the 16-coach configuration, according to reports. It is expected that the inauguration of this new train service will take place before the Navratri festival.
The tentative timetable for this train includes six stoppages at Tatanagar Junction, Purulia Junction, Bokaro City, Gaya Junction, Pt DD Upadhyaya Junction, and Varanasi Junction. The train will depart from Tatanagar Junction at 6:00 am and reach Varanasi Junction at 1:50 pm, covering a distance of 574 kilometers in 7 hours and 50 minutes. The return journey will see the train departing from Varanasi Junction at 2:35 pm and arriving at Tatanagar at 10:00 pm.
Vande Bharat trains, known for their emphasis on indigenization, offer state-of-the-art facilities to passengers, ensuring a faster, more comfortable, and highly convenient travel experience.
In a bid to emulate the rapid cleaning procedures employed on Japan’s Bullet Trains, where cleaning is accomplished in just 7 minutes, Indian Railways is embarking on a mission to redefine cleanliness standards. A process that previously took 3-4 hours will now be completed in just 15 minutes, according to sources from the Ministry of Railways.
Each coach of the Vande Bharat train will be meticulously cleaned by a dedicated team of four cleaning staff. These staff members have undergone extensive training programs lasting over a month and have participated in multiple mock drills to fine-tune their skills, ensuring the efficient execution of the rapid cleaning operation.
Earlier this year, in January, Railways Minister Vaishnaw hinted at transforming the cleaning process for India’s premium trains. With this initiative, Indian Railways plans to extend the efficient cleaning mechanism to all trains once it proves to be effective and fully functional.
Given the millions of passengers who travel daily, this initiative aims to raise the travel experience to a world-class standard, where cleanliness plays a pivotal role.
Vande Bharat Trains, recognized for their semi-high-speed service, commenced operations in February 2019, initially operating from Delhi to Varanasi. Currently, there are 68 Vande Bharat train services operational throughout the country. This leap in efficiency is expected to redefine passenger expectations and enhance the overall railway travel experience.
