Raipur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday virtually flagged-off a new Vande Bharat Express train between Durg in Chhattisgarh and the port city of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
This was the second Vande Bharat Express, a semi-high-speed air-conditioned train with modern passenger amenities and upgraded safety features, launched in the state.
The PM virtually flagged off the train from Ahmedabad, while Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was linked to the inaugural programme held at Raipur railway station through video conferencing, a Railway official here said.
Chhattisgarh Governor Ramen Deka, Union Minister of State Tokhan Sahu and other leaders were present at the ceremony in Raipur.
The new Vande Bharat will cover the distance between Durg and Visakhapatnam in eight hours, saving about three hours of journey as the existing trains operational on this route take 11 hours to finish the travel between the two cities, he said.
The Durg-Visakhapatnam Vande Bharat Express will operate from both ends six days a week (except Thursday).
This train connects two major cities Durg and Visakhapatnam, which are important in terms of tourism and business. It will promote tourism and economic activities and also play a key role in boosting health and education sectors.
The Vande Bharat Express class of trains have several special features, including higher speed, enhanced comfort and safety. They can attain a maximum speed of up to 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph), but it currently runs at a speed of 130 kilometres per hour, helping to reduce travel time between major cities, the official said.
These semi-high-speed trains have reclining seats with ample leg space and boast of several safety features, including automatic doors, smoke alarms, CCTV cameras, bio-vacuum toilets and ‘Kavach’ signalling technology (train protection system), he said.
The first Vande Bharat Express train in the country was launched in February 2019.
Chhattisgarh already has a Vande Bharat Express train running between Bilaspur and Nagpur (Maharashtra).
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