Coming Soon: Vande Bharat trains at half the existing length

As the railways are planning to run more and more Vande Bharat trains, they feel that passenger traffic could be low in routes connecting tier-2 cities and towns and may not be cost effective

Mumbai: The Indian Railways is conceptualising a shorter version (eight-car) of its pet project Vande Bharat trains, which currently run with 16 coaches. With 400 Vande Bharat trains planned, the railway ministry believes that the demand for these trains on routes connecting tier-2 cities would be less and hence, shorter trains will serve the purpose better.

Railway officials expect lesser demand for Vande Bharat trains on the routes connecting tier-2 cities and hence, are opting for shorter verswion of the popular train. (HT PHOTO)

The eight-car version is being developed at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai. Senior officials stated that the Railway Board has communicated to the ICF about the same and the latter are working on conceptualising the designs and changes needed to accommodate the idea.

“The ICF is working on revising the current rake formation and seating arrangements. It can be made into an eight-car or a 12-car or even a 16-car train depending on the demand or the growth of it,” said a senior railway official on the condition of anonymity.

The logic behind this is that Vande Bharat trains are costlier than premium trains like Rajdhani and Shatabdi. As the railways are planning to run more and more Vande Bharat trains, they feel that passenger traffic could be low in routes connecting tier-2 cities and towns and may not be cost effective.

According to railway officials, the plan is to manufacture an eight-car Vande Bharat rake as a proof of this concept, which can also be upgraded to a 12/16/20/24-car formation. The detailed configuration of these trains will differ from route to route depending on demand and traffic.

“The railways can also add sleeper coaches in a regular Vande Bharat express train that run on longer routes,” said Kailash Verma, member, Passenger Amenities Committee, Ministry of Railways.

A prototype for the first such eight-coach Vande Bharat is being made at the ICF and is slated to roll out in about two months, as the design for the mini-Vande Bharat Express with seating arrangement is being worked out. At present, the ICF manufactures 16-car Vande Bharat trains.

“These trains can be converted to 16-car trains simply by combining two eight-car Vande Bharat trains. Moreover, by operating eight-car Vande Bharat, two trains can respectively run from either end of a corridor, which will help in catering to more passengers,” said another railway official.

Currently, Mumbai has a Vande Bharat train running till Ahmedabad. As per figures provided by the Western Railway, between October and December 2022, more than 2.26 lakh passengers travelled in Vande Bharat train between Mumbai Central and Gandhinagar. Sources said that from January 2 to 21, the average occupancy in Vande Bharat was anywhere between 125-140%, which was similar to that on Shatabdi trains that run on this route.

The percentage exceeds 100 as, usually, a seat is occupied multiple times during a single journey given that a passenger could board and alight at any stations on this route. On an average, 1,430 passengers travel daily in Vande Bharat on Mumbai-Gandhinagar stations.

Moreover, the railways are also connecting smaller tier-2 cities like Jalandhar with Ludhiana or Coimbatore with Madurai, for which a shorter version of Vande Bharat rake could fit-in. There have been requests to run the eight Vande Bharat trains that are currently in operation between important cities.

“Although Vande Bharat trains are good, travelling in it is expensive for common man. The railways should think of their regular travellers as well as not everyone can afford to travel in these trains,” said Dr M Raghavaiah of National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR).

Moreover, officials claim that the shorter Vande Bharat trains will make it more manageable for the railways to transport them for upkeep and repairs. These train sets are single units, unlike regular trains, and hence, they must be transported in their entirety to the yards for repairs or maintenance.

Graphic

Vande Bharat in numbers

Railways is planning to ply shorter-length Vande Bharat trains on routes between t-er 2 cities. here are some related facts and figures.

16

Number of cars on Vande Bharat trains running now.

8

Number of cars on shorter version of Vande Bharat trains.

400

Number of trains the Railways are planning to be built

2.26 lakh

Number of passengers that travelled on Vande Bharat trains between October and December 2022 on Mumbai Central and Gandhinagar route.

1,430

Number of passengers on an average that travel daily in Vande Bharat on Mumbai-Gandhinagar stations