Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis flagged off the new Vande Bharat Express train between Nanded and Mumbai on Tuesday. He called it a major step towards prosperity for the Marathwada region, reported the PTI.
CM Fadnavis flagged off the train service through video conferencing from Mumbai, while a formal event took place at Nanded railway station.
Fadnavis said that Nanded, a key religious place for Sikhs, will now have faster and more comfortable travel options. The new train will save around two hours of travel time compared to existing trains.
The special inaugural train, decorated with flowers, left Hazur Sahib Nanded station at 11:20 am and is expected to reach Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai by 9:55 pm.
Nanded is located on the banks of the Godavari River and is home to the famous Gurdwara Hazur Sahib, a major Sikh pilgrimage site.
The Vande Bharat route also connects other popular religious sites like the Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga, Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, and the Ajanta-Ellora Caves. It aims to improve travel for business people, students, and tourists, according to Central Railway.
CM Fadnavis said that modern transport like this is needed to help Marathwada grow.
“With this new service, Nanded is now better connected to Mumbai, which will help the region develop,” he said, according to the PTI.
He added that the Indian Railways is being transformed under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
The Vande Bharat trains, made in India with modern features, are a sign of the progress.
The train will now take about 9 to 9.5 hours to travel the 610 km distance between Mumbai and Nanded. Earlier, it only ran up to Jalna, but now it has been extended to Nanded. Also, the number of coaches has increased from 8 to 20, and it can now carry 1,440 passengers, up from 500 earlier, as per the PTI.
This is the first Vande Bharat train connecting Marathwada with Mumbai. It offers fast, fully air-conditioned daytime travel with a focus on speed, comfort and safety, the PTI reported.
The train will run six days a week – not on Wednesdays from Nanded and not on Thursdays from Mumbai.
The Central Railway said the Vande Bharat will cut journey time by nearly two hours compared to the Devgiri Express, which takes 11 hours and 20 minutes.
The schedule is designed to suit day travellers. It will leave Nanded at 5:00 am and reach Mumbai at 2:25 pm. On the return journey, it will depart CSMT at 1:10 pm and reach Nanded at 10:50 pm.
From 27 August, the current CSMT-Jalna Vande Bharat (20706) will be extended to Nanded. From 28 August, the return train (20705) will also start from Nanded.
The train will benefit business travellers, students and pilgrims, and will improve access to places like Nashik and Mumbai.
It will stop at Parbhani, Jalna, Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), Manmad, Nashik Road, Kalyan, Thane, and Dadar.
The 20-coach semi-high-speed train includes two executive chair cars and 18 regular chair cars. It has features such as automatic temperature control, bio-vacuum toilets, panoramic windows and energy-saving brakes.
(with PTI inputs)
