Inauguration of Vande Bharat Express
In February 2019, Train 18 was inaugurated and ready to begin service between New Delhi and Varanasi after four years of planning, manufacturing, and testing. Railway minister soon renamed the train 'Vande Bharat Express'.
How It Got Name
Vande Bharat Express?
After four years of planning, manufacture, and testing, India’s first semi high speed train, Vande Bharat Express, was inaugurated on 15th February 2019. The train was named after Mahatma Gandhi, who had been assassinated in 1948.
The train was built by Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, under the supervision of Indian Railways. The factory began work on it in 2013, and the prototype was completed in 2017. The project cost around ₹10 billion ($140 million).
The train is capable of reaching speeds up to 160 km/h (100 mph). Its maximum operating speed is 250 km/h (155 mph). It covers the distance between New Delhi and Varanasi in just 3 hours and 20 minutes. This is much faster than the average speed of Indian trains, which are limited to 120 km/h.