Snapshot
“Vande Metro will be like rapid shuttle-like experience for passengers,” Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
Building on the success of Vande Bharat semi high speed trains, Indian Railways plans to roll out completely ‘Made In India’ Vande Metro Trains by 2024.
This shorter version of Vande Bharat trains would cater to the needs of regular commuters to travel between Mega Cities and their satellite towns.
With higher speeds and more comfort, the new trains could change the intercity travel scenario across India.
While the Vande Bharat trains did not get a mention in the finance minister’s speech, the announcement of a mini version of it was the highlight of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s post-budget press conference.
“We are also developing Vande Metro… Around big cities, there are large habitations from where people would like to come to the big city for work or leisure, and go back to their home place.
“For that, we are coming up with a Vande Bharat equivalent Vande Metro. This year the design and production will be completed, and in the next financial year, a ramp-up of production of the train will be done.
“These will be like rapid shuttle-like experience for passengers,” said Vaishnaw.
Officials said that these trains will be of eight coaches and will be like a metro train.
A senior railway official said the decision to run Vande Bharat trains with a shorter car composition will prove a boon to passengers, especially traders, students and the working class people who want to visit different big cities.
Normal Vande Bharat trains have a 16-car composition.
Railways In Union Budget 2023
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced Rs 2.40 lakh crore capital expenditure in the Budget 2023, highest ever in the infrastructure sector for the railways.
This is nine times more than 2013-14 capex, said Sitharaman in her speech.
The capex would be utilised to expand the rail network providing last-mile connectivity to fertiliser, steel and mineral ores.
With the last mile connectivity in the core sector, the railways freight loading would be witnessing a substantial jump as envisaged in the National Rail Plan 2030.
(With inputs from PTI)