New Delhi: Vande Bharat Express trains have reignited the interest of urban passengers in train travel by providing a faster, cleaner and new-age travel experience. Commuters can now travel from one major city to another in new-age superfast trains that are capable of touching speeds of up to 130 kmph.
While Vande Bharat Express trains have been a big hit with passengers, different routes have witnessed different levels of response from locals. Vande Bharat Express trains saw over 31 lakh passenegrs ticket bookings and over 96 per cent occupancy in FY23, according to the Indian Railways.
How many Vande Bharat Express trains with 100% occupancy?
According to an analysis by Mathrubhoomi, 17 Vande Bharat Express trains had 100 per cent occupancy. This included 2 trains in Kerala. Another 13 Vande Bharat trains had 50 per cent occupancy, according to the report. Overall, there are 59 Vande Bharat trains operating on multiple routes across India.
Out of these 18 trains have 16 coaches, while three trains have 20 coaches. In fact, the Keral-based Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod 16-coach Vande Bharat Express recorded 100 per cent occupancy with all 1,106 occupied by passengers. Similarly, the Mangaluru-Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express saw all 474 seats occupied.
However, in the Konkan region, the superfast train received a lukewarm response with 300 out of 474 seats remaining vacant on some days. The passenger occupancy rate may be directly linked to the train fare, according to the report.
Nagpur-Secunderabad Vande Bharat Express occupancy rate
The 20-coach Nagpur-Secunderabad Vande Bharat Express reported low occupancy with 1,118 seats out of a total of 1,328 seats remaining vacant on some occasions. The Secunderabad-Nagpur Vande Bharat Express also saw 1,200 of 1,440 seats remaining vacant, indicating just 20 per cent occupancy, the TOI reported.
The 5th Vande Bharat Express in Telangana was rolled out on September 16, 2024. The executive coaches saw less than 10 reservations as against 88 seats on offer, according to the report. However, Vande Bharat Express trains to Chennai, Bengaluru and Visakhapatnam have received a positive response from travellers with 90-100 per cent occupancy.
The Indian Railways may consider slashing the seat allocation on the Nagpur-Secunderabad route to 500, and cutting the number of coaches to 8 from 20 at present if the poor occupancy figures continue, the TOI reported, citing officials.
Vande Bharat Express occupancy rate: While some trains are fully booked, others are witnessing just 20 per cent occupancy, according to an analysis. Biz News Business News – Personal Finance News, Share Market News, BSE/NSE News, Stock Exchange News Today
