PM Modi to virtually flag off nine new Vande Bharat trains today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually flag off nine Vande Bharat Express trains on Wednesday at 12:30 PM. The launch marks another step towards strengthening rail connectivity across the country and offering modern travel facilities to passengers.

The new trains will run on key routes including Udaipur–Jaipur, Tirunelveli–Madurai–Chennai, Hyderabad–Bengaluru, Vijayawada–Chennai (via Renigunta), Patna–Howrah, Kasaragod–Thiruvananthapuram, Rourkela–Bhubaneswar–Puri, Ranchi–Howrah, and Jamnagar–Ahmedabad. With these additions, connectivity will be enhanced across 11 states — Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, Odisha, Jharkhand and Gujarat.

The new Vande Bharat Express trains will be the fastest on their respective routes, reducing travel time considerably. For instance, the Rourkela–Bhubaneswar–Puri and Kasaragod–Thiruvananthapuram services will save passengers about three hours, while the Hyderabad–Bengaluru train will be quicker by nearly two and a half hours. Other routes will see time reductions ranging from half an hour to two hours.

The initiative is also aimed at improving connectivity to important religious centres. The Rourkela–Bhubaneswar–Puri and Tirunelveli–Madurai–Chennai trains will connect the pilgrim towns of Puri and Madurai, while the Vijayawada–Chennai service via Renigunta will provide a direct link to the Tirupati temple.