The Vande Bharat Express is a symbol of India’s technological progress and a step towards modernising the country’s railway infrastructure. While all eyes are set on the launch of the country’s 11th Vande Bharat train from Bhopal to New Delhi on April 1, the latest trial run of Chennai to Coimbatore Vande Bharat has started making headlines.
According to railway officials, the Vande Bharat Express, which was on a trial run from Chennai to Coimbatore, arrived 22 minutes ahead of schedule at 11.40 am on Thursday, PTI reported. The train left Chennai at 5.40 am and arrived in Coimbatore at 11.18 am, taking a total of 5 hours and 38 minutes. The trial run was successful, and the train left Coimbatore at 12.24 pm with railway officials on board, including Salem Railway Division Manager Pankaj Kumar Sinha, according to the report.
Debuting soon
The Chennai to Coimbatore Vande Bharat has eight coaches, including one executive coach, and 530 seats in total. The scheduled arrival and departure timings of the train would be decided after the formal inauguration by Prime Minister Modi scheduled on April 8, the officials said.
Welcoming the train, various industrial and trade bodies said it would help increase trade, and sought a similar train to Thiruvananthapuram from Coimbatore, covering Palani, Tirunelveli and Madurai.
