Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off Secunderabad-Tirupati Vande Bharat Express during his Telangana visit on Saturday.
Vande Bharat Express, also known as Train 18, is India’s first semi-high-speed intercity electric multiple-unit train. It was designed and built entirely in India by the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, and is a major milestone in the country’s efforts to modernize its railway infrastructure.
The train was launched on February 15, 2019, and currently operates between New Delhi and Varanasi, covering a distance of 764 kilometers in just 8 hours. Vande Bharat Express is a technological marvel, with a maximum speed of 160 km/h and several features that enhance passenger comfort and safety. The train has a fully air-conditioned 16-coach formation, with 2 executive class coaches and 14 chair car coaches.
It has automatic doors, a GPS-based passenger information system, onboard Wi-Fi, and bio-vacuum toilets. The train also boasts of a regenerative braking system, which helps to generate electricity while braking, thereby reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions.
The advent of Vande Bharat Express is a major step forward for Indian Railways, which has been grappling with several operational and financial challenges in recent years. The train is expected to revolutionize intercity travel in India, by providing a fast, comfortable, and eco
The redevelopment of Secunderabad Railway Station, at Rs 720 crore, will entail a significant transformation with world-class utilities and an aesthetically designed iconic station structure, reported ANI, citing the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The redeveloped station would have a double-level capacious roof plaza with all passenger amenities in one place along with multimodal connectivity for providing seamless transfer of passengers from rail to other modes among others, read a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
He will signal off Secunderabad-Tirupati Vande Bharat Express at Secunderabad Railway Station.
The Secunderabad-Tirupati Vande Bharat Express, connecting IT City, Hyderabad with the Abode of Lord Venkateswara, Tirupati, is the second Vande Bharat train to be begun from Telangana within a brief duration of three months. The railway will reduce the travel time between the two cities by almost three-and-a-half hours and will be particularly beneficial for passengers on pilgrimage.
During the program, Prime Minister Modi will flag off 13 new Multi-Modal Transport Service (MMTS) services in the suburban sector of the Hyderabad-Secunderabad twin city region, providing commuters with a rapid, convenient, and comfortable commuting option.
He will also inaugurate the expansion and electrification of the Secunderabad-Mahabubnagar project. The undertaking extending for a distance of over 85 km has been concluded at a cost of roughly Rs 1,410 crore. The initiative will provide seamless connectivity and assist in augmenting the average speed of railroads, informed the PMO through its statement.
Later in the day, Prime Minister Modi will lay the foundation stone for AIIMS Bibinagar at the public program at Parade Ground in Hyderabad. AIIMS Bibinagar is being constructed at a cost of more than Rs 1,350 crore.
The establishment of AIIMS Bibinagar is a crucial milestone in providing comprehensive, quality, and holistic tertiary care health services to the people of Telangana at their proximity, said the PMO statement.
During the program, PM Modi will also place the foundation stone of National Highway initiatives worth more than Rs 7,850 crore. These road initiatives will strengthen the road connectivity of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh while also contributing to the socio-economic development of the region.
