Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off India’s most-awaited 9th and 10th Vande Bharat Express train on Friday. This will be the first blue and white colour train for the Central Railway zone while 2nd and 3rd for Maharashtra. Speaking at the ceremony, the Prime Minister said that the service of the Vande Bharat train will benefit college-going, and office-going people, farmers, and devotees. He further added that the train is the reflection of India’s speed and scale.

Mumbai got its first Vande Bharat on September 30, 2022, which operates between Gandhinagar Capital and Mumbai Central. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, and others were present during the ceremony.

Also Read: India to get two new Vande Bharat Express trains soon – Check routes, distance & special features here

Earlier in a tweet, Railway Minister said, “Vande Bharat ka double dose for Maharashtra.”

Inaugural run

During its inaugural run, the country’s new advanced Vande Bharat Express 2.0 will depart from CSMT Mumbai with an interval of a few minutes. The Mumbai-Solapur Vande Bharat Express was flagged off at around from platform number 17, while Mumbai-Sainagar Shirdi Vande Bharat Express was inaugurated from platform number 18. The Prime Minister will inspect the first coach of CSMT-Sainagar Shirdi Vande Bharat Express and will also interact with crew members and school children. 117 school students have been selected from various schools in Maharashtra to travel on the semi-high-speed train on Friday. Over 32,000 school students across the state participated in drawing, writing, and speech competitions on the theme of Vande Bharat.  

Also Read: Vande Bharat Express gave boost to Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative; It’s a symbol of aspiration and resurgent India, says Sudhanshu Mani

Distance and Time of Vande Bharat Express:

The Vande Bharat Express train between CSMT to Solapur covers a distance of 455 km in 6 hours and 35 minutes. During its journey, the train will halt at four stations namely Dadar, Kalyan, Pune, and Kurduwadi. In its route, the train will connect important pilgrimage centers like Siddheshwar in Solapur, Akkalkot, Tuljapur, Pandharpur near Solapur, and Alandi near Pune.

While the Vande Bharat Express between CSMT to Sainagar Shirdi will cover a distance of 340 km in 5 hours and 24 minutes. The train will connect important pilgrimage centers like Nashik, Trimbakeshwar, Sainagar Shirdi, and Shani Singanapur.