Historic trial run: Vande Bharat train crosses world's tallest rail bridge

New Delhi: Indian Railways on Saturday conducted the trial run of the first Vande Bharat train from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (SVDK) railway station to Srinagar railway station. The train will pass through the Anji Khad Bridge, India's first cable-stayed railway bridge, and the Chenab Bridge, the highest railway bridge in the world. This train has been designed with the cold climate conditions of the Kashmir Valley in mind.

On January 23, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that several countries had shown interest in importing semi-high-speed Vande Bharat trains from India. "Many countries have shown interest in Vande Bharat," Vaishnaw told ANI when asked if there were inquiries regarding the import of the train manufactured in India.

He added, "An interesting thing is that some participants of Indian origin have mentioned that when they were in India, their children said they wanted to sit in Vande Bharat."

Indian Railways launched India's first indigenous semi-high-speed train, the Vande Bharat Express, which is regarded as a "Make in India" success story. The first Vande Bharat Express train was flagged off on February 15, 2019, on the New Delhi-Kanpur-Allahabad-Varanasi route, running at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour.

During the financial year 2022-23, approximately 31.84 lakh tickets were booked for travel on Vande Bharat trains, with an overall occupancy rate of 96.62%. These trains are equipped with top-tier amenities and advanced safety features, such as Kavach technology, accessible toilets for Divyangjan, and integrated Braille signage.

In India, there are four new types of trains: Vande Bharat Chair Car, Vande Bharat Sleeper, Namo Bharat Train, and Amrit Bharat Train. "With the addition of these four trains, passengers in our country will receive high-quality services," Vaishnaw said.

The testing of the Vande Bharat Sleeper is nearly complete, and the data is being analyzed before the actual production at the Integral Coach Factory, the Minister confirmed.