Two Vande Bharat trains to depart from both ends around same time
MUMBAI: From March 13, the Ahmedabad-mumbai route will be the first in the country where two Vande Bharat trains will depart from both ends around the same time.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, via videoconferencing, will flag off on March 12 the second train which is part of the 10 new Vande Bharat superfast expresses across the country.
While the first train (20901) departs from Mumbai Central at 6 am and reaches Gandhinagar at 12.25 pm, the second train (22960) will chug out of Ahmedabad at 6.10 am and arrive at Mumbai Central at 11.35 am.
In the return direction, the first train (20902) leaves Gandhinagar at 2.05 pm and reaches Mumbai Central at 8.25 pm, while the new train (22961) will depart from Mumbai Central at 3.55 pm and arrive at Ahmedabad at 9.25 pm.
“The second train will run six days a week, except on Sundays,” said Sumit Thakur, chief PRO, Western Railway (WR).
The new Vande Bharat, comprising AC chair cars and executive chair cars, will halt at Vadodara, Surat, Vapi and Borivali stations in both directions.
Sources said the existing Mumbai-ahmedabad (Gandhinagar) route is among the most popular ones with over 9.75 lakh passengers using it between March 1, 2023, and February 29 this year. In the last one year, 4.97 lakh passengers have travelled from Gandhinagar to Mumbai while 4.79 lakh have taken the reverse route of the same train. This 16-car train with 1,128 seats has completed 312 trips on each side during the period.
The WR will extend the Ahmedabad-jamnagar Vande Bharat till Okha. Currently, five trains are running within the WR network.
Other than the second train, Modi will inaugurate a slew of amenities like restaurants on wheels at Mumbai Central, Mahim, Andheri, and Borivali stations. A Vande Bharat manufacturing unit in Latur and a maintenance-cum-workshop depot for VB chair car in Pune will also be opened by the PM. Inauguration of five Jan Aushadi Kendras at LTT, Manmad, Pimpri, Solapur and Chandrapur district will also take place along with four rail coach restaurants at Nashik Road, Akola, Andheri and Borivali.