Pune Demands Vande Bharat Sadharan Express, Minister Promises In Next Phases

Pune Station, 30th October 2023: Pune’s railway aspirations for the inclusion of Vande Bharat Sadharan Express on specific routes remain unmet in the initial phase, stirring anticipation and calls for the service extension. While the Railway Board has identified five routes for the Vande Bharat Sadharan Express in its first phase and proposed 18 others, none of these plans currently encompass Pune.

The absence of Vande Bharat Sadharan Express from Pune comes despite the significant number of passengers commuting from Pune to cities like Darbhanga in Bihar, Howrah in West Bengal, and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.

Consequently, the railway administration and public representatives have been urged to spearhead efforts to introduce Vande Bharat Sadharan Express from Pune in the subsequent phase.

The Vande Bharat Sadharan Express aims to cater to passengers by providing faster travel at a relatively affordable cost. The ticket costs for the Vande Bharat Express have been deemed prohibitive for many, leading to a diminished response. Built with the common passenger in mind, Vande Bharat Sadharan Express is anticipated to enable an average traveler to experience high-speed travel at 130 km per hour within a reasonable budget.

Manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, the first rake of the train has reached Mumbai and is set for trial. This 22-coach train, costing approximately Rs 65 crore, holds promise for a significant shift in travel experience once operational.

While Vande Bharat Express runs through Pune, the train’s origin does not belong to the Pune division. There is a demand to commence the service from Pune to destinations such as Secunderabad, Nagpur, and Ahmedabad. To support the maintenance of Vande Bharat Express, a proposed coaching depot in Pune at an estimated cost of around Rs 90 crore has received approval, yet the express service itself remains pending in Pune.

The Railway Board has pre-approved and proposed multiple routes for Vande Bharat Sadharan Express, but Pune is yet to be included in this phase. Although the production of Vande Maharashtra Express has commenced, it is the Railway Board that decides the initiation routes for these trains. Despite Pune’s absence from the current phase, hopes to remain high for its inclusion in the upcoming railway expansion.

“Even though Pune did not secure the Vande Bharat Express in the initial phase, we are optimistic that it will be accessible in the near future,” stated Raosaheb Danve, Union Minister of State for Railways.