West Bengal has got its first Vande Bharat Express train on the busy Howrah-New Jalpaiguri route today, Friday, December 30. Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the train through video conference as he had to rush to Ahmedabad to attend the last rites of his mother Heeraben who died this morning.
It is the first Vande Bharat Express to operate in West Bengal and on the Eastern parts of the country. Also, it is the seventh Vande Bharat train by Indian Railways in the country.
The superfast train with modern passenger amenities will take around 7.5 hours on its run in both directions, Eastern Railway spokesperson Ekalabya Chakraborty said.
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The first Vande Bharat Express service in the state will be run six days a week, he added. It will bring down travel time between Kolkata and Siliguri, the gateway to the Northeast considerably.
The train will leave the Howrah station at 6 am to reach the New Jalpaiguri station at 1.30 pm, and after a one-hour stopover, it will leave the north Bengal station at 2.30 pm and reach Howrah at 10 pm, Chakraborty said.
According to railway sources, 10 motormen were sent to Ghaziabad for training. Also, 25 train examiners have been trained for the maintenance of the Vande Bharat Express. They have taken this training at Integral Coach Factory(ICF) in Chennai.
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The Divisional Railway Manager(DRM) of Howrah said that usually in the case of other trains, the train sheds only some parts are covered while the rest are under the open sky. But in the case of Vande Bharat Express, the whole area is covered with shades. A special team has been kept ready in the Howrah division for this maintenance of the Vande Bharat Express, according to sources.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister will also lay foundation stone and dedicate various development projects worth ₹7,800 crore to the state.
(With inputs from agencies)
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