On 30th December Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally inaugurated eight new trains including six Vande Bharat Express trains and two Amrit Bharat Express trains in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. He was at the recently renovated Ayodhya Dham station where he flagged off the fresh trains. Two trains, Darbhanga-Delhi Amrit Bharat and Ayodhya-Anand Vihar Vande Bharat were marked off from Ayodhya railway station and others were launched via a video link simultaneously.
Darbhanga to Anand Vihar via Ayodhya Amrit Bharat Express and Darbhanga to Anand Vihar Amrit Bharat Express trains are the first two Amrit Bharat Express trains, a new category of trains launched by Indian Railways.
#WATCH | Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh: PM Narendra Modi flags off two new Amrit Bharat trains and six new Vande Bharat Trains. pic.twitter.com/Q1aDQc8wG7
— ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2023
The Amrit Bharat Express is the first batch of extremely fast passenger trains that are designed with the comforts of the common man in mind. It has a striking orange and grey colour appearance. It has non-airconditioned carriages and is an LHB push-pull train. There are two locomotives on either end of this train to improve acceleration. In addition to better luggage racks, LED lighting, smartphone charging connections, redesigned seating, CCTV and public information systems, it offers superior amenities for travellers. Railway officials have stated that the locomotives on these trains are aerodynamically constructed.
These “jerk-free” trains are scheduled to operate between Darbhanga in Bihar and Anand Vihar in Delhi via Ayodhya, Malda Town in West Bengal and Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminus in Bengaluru. They provide a pleasant ride across numerous destinations owing to semi-coupler technology and novel advancements in train operations. When a train starts and stops, the jerk effect is reduced because of the technology that joins two coaches in this way.
There will be a total of 22 non-AC coaches on the trains, which include 12 sleeper coaches, 8 second-class unreserved coaches and two guard compartments cum luggage coaches. Push-pull technology will be used to power the freshly built train which has a speed capability of 130 kmph (kilometres per hour) and a 6,000 HP WAP5 locomotive at each end and has faster acceleration as well as reduced travel time. The presence of two locomotives at boths ends will also mean that there will be no need for a locomotive reversal at terminals, ensuring faster operation.
The WAP5 locomotive has been upgraded with an aerodynamic frontal nose, flat rear nose, a crew-friendly console and cab, anthropogenic crew seats, integrated converter and hotel load converter, Kavach, RTS, CVVRS, air-conditioning, WTB enabled for push-pull operation. While the locomotives are capable of very high speeds, the speeds of the trains will be limited by limitation of tracks.
Traveling on Amrit Bharat Express trains within a one- to fifty-kilometer radius requires a minimum ticket price of Rs 35 which does not include the reservation fee or other costs. A railway official stated, “If we compare the fares for these two classes, second and sleeper with other currently-running mail or express trains, Amrit Bharat’s fare is 15 to 17 per cent higher.”
According to the official, concessional tickets and tickets against free complimentary passes that are not reimbursed will not be accepted on these trains. Additionally, railway employees will be eligible for privilege passes, duty passes, PTOs (privilege ticket orders) and other benefits on the same basis as those available by mail or express.
These trains consist of appealing features such as “horizontal sliding windows, semi-permanent coupler between the coaches, dust-sealed wider gangways, an aerosol-based fire suppression system in toilets and electrical cubicles, an emergency disaster management light, floor guide fluorescent strips, bench-type design for LWS coaches, segregation of reserved and unreserved coaches (with sliding doors), etc.”
Other features in the trains include CCTV Cameras, bio-vacuum toilets, sensor-based water taps, a passenger information system, electric outlets, LED lights etc.
Train number 15557 is set to leave Darbhanga at 3:00 PM on Mondays and Thursdays. It will arrive at the Anand Vihar Terminal station in Delhi at 12:35 PM on the following day for a total route duration of twenty-one hours and thirty-five minutes. Kamtul, Janakpur Road, Sitamarhi, Bairgania, Raxaul, Narkatiyaganj, Bagha, Kaptanganj, Gorakhpur, Basti, Mankapur, Ayodhya Dham, Lucknow, Kanpur Central, Etawah, Tundla, Aligarh Junction, and lastly Anand Vihar Terminal are among the stations at which the train will stop.
Even though Amrit Bharat and Vande Bharat have similar naming schemes, they are completely different trains. The entire Vande Bharat train was newly developed by Indian Railways. On the other hand, Amrit Bharat uses LHB coaches, which are already in use, with improved features and upgraded locomotives.
PM Modi also unveiled six brand-new Vande Bharat Trains which will run from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to New Delhi, Amritsar to Delhi, Coimbatore to Bangalore Cantonment, Mangalore to Madgaon, Jalna to Mumbai and Ayodhya to Anand Vihar. Vande Bharat Express is a chair car train with air conditioning that is now operating on multiple routes throughout the entire country. It is a self-propelled train with a 160 kmph maximum speed.
Furthermore, PM Modi is also laying the groundwork for development projects worth Rs 15,700 crore for Uttar Pradesh comprising Rs 11,100 crore for Ayodhya and opening the recently constructed airport in the temple town. The redesigned train station which will now be known as Ayodhya Dham was also officially inaugurated by him. Redeveloped for Rs 240 crore, the three-story building is a certified green structure with escalators, lifts, waiting areas, cloakrooms and food plazas. The visit by the prime minister has set the tone for the events leading up to the much anticipated Ram Mandir’s consecration ceremony on 22nd January.
