New Delhi: The Indian Railways in response to an RTI query clarified the average speed of the semi-high speed Vande Bharat Express has been brought down to 76.25 kilometres per hour (kmph) in 2023-24 from 84.48 kmph 2020-21. To be sure these speeds are being maintained as a cautionary measure in places undergoing major infrastucture-related work.
Another reason behind the moderation in Vande Bharat Express train speeds has been the difficult terrain that they are requires to traverse. The Indian Railways cited the following reasons for the moderation in train speeds:
Geography
Extreme weather conditions
Speed restrictions
Mumbai to Madgaon Vande Bharat Express
The Central Railway Zone stated that the terrain between Mumbai to Madgaon has a section of the ‘ghat’ including low mountain ranges. Since this is a difficult terrain to navigate, the Vande Bharat Express train speed is capped at 75 kmph for passenger safety, especially during the Monsoon season.
Fastest train segment for Vande Bharat Express
The Delhi-Agra railway track system has certain segments that were designed to run the Gatuman Express which was capable of a maximum speed of 160 kmph. The Vande Bharat Express runs at a speed of 130 kmph only on these sections, the PTI, reported, citing a railway official.
The Vande Bharat Express is run at controlled speeds to accommodate the train track upgradation work that will ultimately allow the train to run at super-fast speeds, the official added. The upgrade will pave the way for trains to achieve speeds of up to 250 kmph.
Slowest Vande Bharat Express routes
The Vande Bharat Express runs at its lowest speeds on the following routes:
Route
Speed (in kmph)
Dehradun-Anand Vihar
63.42
Patna-Ranchi
62.9
Coimbatore-Bangalore Cantt
58.11
Despite the slowdown in the average speed of the Vande Bharat Express, the flagship train of the Modi government remains popular and it has clocked over 2.15 crore passenger footfall since its inception until March 31, 2024, according to railway officials.The Vande Bharat Express offers connectivity to 2 84 districts on 100 routes.
The Indian Railways clarified in response to an RTI query that the average speed of the Vande Bharat Express has been moderated to 76.25 kmph from 84.48 kmph over a 4-year period to accommodate train track upgradation work and geographical restrictions. Biz News Business News – Personal Finance News, Share Market News, BSE/NSE News, Stock Exchange News Today
