The Railway Board decided to run the indigenously built high speed train between Delhi and Katra, the base for the Vaishno Devi shrine, after the success of the train now plying between New Delhi and Varanasi which has completed over 1.5 lakh running km in five months.

Here are some interesting things to know about Vande Bharat Express train to Vaishno Devi:

• The new Vande Bharat Express train, which is capable of attaining a speed of 200 kmh, will prove a blessing for pilgrims travelling to Vaishno Devi temple as it will cut down the travelling time by over four hours.The distance between Delhi and Katra is about 655 kms. Currently, a superfast train like Rajdhani takes about 12 hours to reach Katra from Delhi.

• The Vande Bharat Express train on the Delhi-Katra route will have three stops: Ambala, Ludhiana and Jammu.
• The trial run of the second Vande Bharat Express, also known as ‘Train 18’, was successfully conducted on the New Delhi, Katra route on Monday, Times of India reported. According to Railway officials, the train departed from New Delhi at 6.00 in the morning and reached Katra at 2 pm the same day. Thereafter, the Vande Bharat Express train departed from Katra at 3 pm and arrived at the national capital at 11 pm, as per the report.
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• Passengers will have to shed some extra amount if they wish to travel in the train on the New Delhi-Katra route. According to the sources, the fare for chair car of Vande Bharat Express will be Rs 1620 per seat. For the executive class, the tickets will cost Rs 3015 for each passenger.
• The Vande Bharat Express has automatic doors with sliding footsteps which have centralised control like Metro trains. The semi-high speed train will serve food which is included in the price of the ticket itself. The user can also avail Wi-Fi access for infotainment and on mobile phones or tablets. The train also has GPS based advanced passenger information system which will update about the upcoming stations and information.
• Unlike the first Vande Bharat Express, which was criticised for lack of sufficient pantry space, the upgraded train has been provided with more space to store meals for passengers.
• To avoid damage due to cattle run-over, the train has been equipped with a sturdy aluminium-clad nose cover.
• To guard against stone pelting, a special anti-spall film on windows has been provided.
• The train is entirely air-conditioned and has been designed in the shape of a bullet train.

Vande Bharat Express likely to operate on Delhi-Katra route from next month.

Source:  Inputs from online reports