Prime Minister Modi to Flag Off Two New Vande Bharat Express Trains from Pune

Sumit Singh

Pune, 11th March 2024: Two new Vande Bharat Express trains, connecting Pune to Baroda and Pune to Secunderabad, are set to be launched soon. The completion of maintenance work on these state-of-the-art railway trains marks a milestone in the expansion of the Vande Bharat Express network.

The Vande Bharat Express, known for its semi-high-speed operations, has gained popularity in Maharashtra since the introduction of the first service between Mumbai and Gandhinagar. The subsequent expansion of the network included routes such as Mumbai-Pune-Solapur, Mumbai-Shirdi, Mumbai-Goa, Mumbai-Jalna, and Nagpur to Bilaspur.

With the addition of these two new trains, Maharashtra is set to play a crucial role in the nationwide expansion of the Vande Bharat Express services. The initiative aims to facilitate easier access for devotees to religious places, including the planned routes from Pune to Shegaon and Mumbai to Shegaon, catering to the followers of Sant Gajanan Maharaj.

In another development, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav inaugurated the car body structure of the Vande Bharat Sleeper Transit in Bengaluru. This marks the introduction of the sleeper version of the Vande Bharat Express, following the success of the Amrut Bharat and chair car versions. The sleeper trains are expected to provide enhanced facilities compared to existing options, with ten sets currently in progress.

Pune residents stand to benefit significantly from the growing Vande Bharat network, with three distinct routes – Bilaspur-Nagpur, Mumbai-Shirdi, and Mumbai-Solapur – already operational in the state. The Railway Committee meeting witnessed demands from Members of Parliament for the introduction of the Kolhapur-Mumbai Vande Bharat route, further expanding the connectivity options.