Worse than a passenger train..., India's newest Vande Bharat sets an unwanted record right after launch, people are avoiding this train because...
Vande Bharat Express (File)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently flagged off a new Vande Bharat Express train that runs between Gorakhpur and Patna's Patliputra station. Although it's the latest addition to the Vande Bharat fleet, it has already earned an unwanted record i.e. it is the slowest Vande Bharat train in the country.
This train covers the 384-kilometre journey between Gorakhpur and Patliputra in 7 hours. That means its average speed is just about 54 km per hour. Earlier, the slowest Vande Bharat was the one between Mumbai CSMT and Shirdi, which runs at around 64 km per hour.
The response to the Gorakhpur–Patliputra Vande Bharat has been quite poor so far. Not even half of its seats are being filled. One reason could be its slow speed and the high ticket prices compared to other trains. A seat in the AC Chair Car costs Rs. 925, while a seat in the Executive Class costs Rs. 1820.
The train leaves Patliputra at 3:30 PM and reaches Gorakhpur by 10:30 PM. On the way, it stops at several stations including Hajipur, Muzaffarpur, Motihari, Sugauli, Bettiah, Narkatiaganj, Bagaha, and Kaptanganj. It runs every day of the week, except Saturday. Why passengers are skipping this Vande Bharat train
Faster, cheaper option already exists: The Patliputra–Lucknow Express covers the same Patliputra-to-Gorakhpur trip in 4 hours 55 minutes and charges only Rs. 520. It runs five days a week, leaving Patliputra at 4:30 p.m. and reaching Gorakhpur at 9:15 p.m.
Bad timing with another local train: The Vande Bharat leaves Patliputra at 3:30 p.m. Just 15 minutes later, the Patna-Jaynagar train departs and also stops at Hajipur and Muzaffarpur. Travelers headed to those towns choose the cheaper Patna-Jaynagar train instead.
High ticket prices for short trips. Route Chair Car Executive Class Patliputra – Hajipur (21 km) Rs. 380 Rs. 715 Patliputra – Muzaffarpur Rs. 440 Rs. 840 For such short distances, many people feel these fares are too steep.
Because it is slower than expected, leaves at a less convenient time, and costs much more than other trains, the new Vande Bharat service is struggling to attract riders on this route. The fastest Vande Bharat trains
A Vande Bharat train can reach 180 km/h in tests. But India's tracks are not good enough yet, so the trains usually run much slower. For daily service, officials limit the trains to 130 km/h. Because of stops and slow sections, the average speed is about 83 km/h.
The Vande Bharat trains are designed by RDSO (the Railways' research group) at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai.
Fastest routes so far New Delhi – Varanasi route (launched in 2019): Average speed: 95 km/h
Rani Kamlapati (Habibganj) – Hazrat Nizamuddin route: Average speed: 94 km/h
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