Prime Minister Narendra Modi To Inaugurate India’s First Vande Metro: Know About It

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Ahmedabad on his first visit to Gujarat, where he will flag off India’s first Vande Metro service between Bhuj and Ahmedabad along with other Vande Bharat trains on Monday. Western Railways tweeted on X (formerly Twitter) the Vande Metro service is ‘envisioned to redefine intercity commuting in the country’. The Vande Metro promises to ‘drive job creation and boost local tourism’ and described as a ‘leap forward in commuter comfort and a catalyst for economic growth in Kutch’.

What You Need To Know:

• The Vande Metro services from Ahmedabad to Bhuj will start on September 17, while that from Bhuj to Ahmedabad will start on September 18.
• ‘Ahmedabad-Bhuj Vande Metro will depart from Ahmedabad at 17:30 hours every day except Saturday and arrive at Bhuj at 23:10 hours on the same day’, according to the Western Railways.
• The Bhuj-Ahmedabad Vande Metro will depart from Bhuj at 05:05 hours everyday except Sunday and arrive at Ahmedabad at 10:50 hours on the same day.
• The trains will stop at nine stations – Sabarmati, Chandlodiya, Viramgam, Dhrangadhra, Halvad, Samakhiali, Bhachau, Gandhidham and Anjar – in the two directions, and the total journey will cost Rs 455.
• The Western Railways stated, ‘The Vande Metro train has ’12 air-conditioned coaches with centrally controlled automatic sliding doors, modular interiors, continuous LED lighting, toilets with vacuum evacuation, route map indicators, panoramic windows, CCTV, phone charging facilities’.
• The Ministry said that Vande Metro is providing with advanced safety systems like KAVACH for collision avoidance, automatic smoke/fire detection, and aerosol-based fire suppression, along with emergency lights.
• Its advanced features allow it to cover 360-kilometer distance in 5 hours and 45 minutes at a speed of 110 kilometres per hour. According to the Ministry in terms of accessibility, the Metro has been designed with features such as Divyangjan-friendly toilets, a fully sealed flexible gangway and a meal service among others.