Vande Bharat Express | |
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Overview | |
Service type | Inter-city semi-high-speed rail |
Status | Active |
Predecessor | Shatabdi Express |
First service | 15 February 2019 |
Website | indianrail |
Route | |
Line(s) used | 66 |
On-board services | |
Class(es) | AC Chair Car (CC) AC Executive Class (EC) |
Seating arrangements |
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Catering facilities | On-board catering |
Observation facilities | Wide windows |
Entertainment facilities |
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Baggage facilities | Overhead racks |
Other facilities | |
Technical | |
Rolling stock | Vande Bharat (trainset) |
Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge |
Electrification | 25 kV 50 Hz AC Overhead line |
Operating speed | 160 km/h (99 mph) (maximum) 83 km/h (52 mph)[1][2] (average) |
Average length | 384 m (1,260 ft) (16 coaches) 192 m (630 ft) (8 coaches) 480 m (1,570 ft) (20 coaches) |
Vande Bharat Express is a medium-distance superfast express service operated by Indian Railways. It is a reserved, air-conditioned chair car service connecting cities that are less than 800 km (500 mi) apart or take less than ten hours to travel with existing services. The train was a part of the 'Make in India' initiative by the government and entered commercial service on 15 February 2019.
The trainsets are self-propelling Electric Multiple Units (EMU)s with eight or sixteen coaches. The trainset was designed and manufactured by Integral Coach Factory in Chennai. Introduced in 2018, the trainsets achieved semi-high speeds of 183 km/h (114 mph) on trials, and crossed target trial speed of 180 km/h (110 mph) on trials, but the maximum operational speed is 160 km/h (99 mph) which is achieved by the Rani Kamalapati (Habibganj)–Hazrat Nizamuddin Vande Bharat Express and Hazrat Nizamuddin-Khajuraho Vande Bharat Express on the Tughlakabad–Agra section.