The rake of the Patna-Ranchi Vande Bharat express arrived in Patna on Tuesday evening, and it is likely to go on the inaugural run by the end of this month, an officer tasked to look after the operation of the semi high speed train said.
“This is the 20th rake of Vande Bharat express, next to the one scheduled to run between Goa and Mumbai. The launch of Goa-Mumbai Vande Bharat express, slated for inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 3, was deferred due to the triple-train accident at Balasore in Odisha. The turn for inauguration of Patna-Ranchi Vande Bharat express will come after Goa-Mumbai train,” the officer said on condition of anonymity.
Chief public relations officer (CPRO), east central railway zone, Birendra Kumar said that maintenance staff would undergo training by experts for two days (June 9-10) from the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) at Rajendra Nagar coaching yard. “Following it, there might be some commissioning, before making the rake go on for the trial run,” said the CPRO. He said that other details such as the schedule and fare would be disclosed later after receiving further communication from the railway ministry.
A section of the officials said that the train might be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as it was scheduled earlier, from Ranchi station of the south eastern railway (SER), though the train has been allotted to the east central railways (ECR). “Primary maintenance of the train will be carried out at Rajendra Nagar yard, while secondary maintenance will be done at Ranchi station,” said another officer.
A senior officer of the SER at Ranchi said that they are yet to get the route chart, but as per the discussion, Vande Bharat is likely to run via Tatisilwai, Mersa, Shanki, Barkakana, Hazaribag, Koderma and Gaya. “Currently, a passenger train is shuttling between Ranchi and Shanki. The entire stretch between Barkakana and Ranchi has been tested okay for speedy run and is about 36km less than the normal route via Muri and Ramgarh Cant,” he added.
“Fare of Ranchi from Patna will be in the range of ₹1,000 to ₹1,200 for chair car and around ₹2,000 for executive class,” said a commercial wing officer, adding that exact fair will be known once notified by the railway ministry.
The Patna-Ranchi Vande Bharat express consists of eight rakes and come fitted with devises for passengers’ safety and comfort. “It has sliding doors to open on platforms, comfortable chairs and big TV screens for entertainment. The train is also fitted with Kavach anti-crash device,” said the official.
