Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off three Vande Bharat trains via video conferencing on Saturday and said that the expansion of Vande Bharat trains reflects our nation's progress towards the goal of Viksit Bharat with modernity and speed.
PM Modi flagged off trains on three routes: Meerut - Lucknow, Madurai - Bengaluru and Chennai - Nagercoil.
Speaking on the occasion, PM Modi said, "Today, from the north to the south, another chapter is being added to the country's journey of development. The expansion of Vande Bharat trains reflects our nation's progress towards the goal of a developed India with modernity and speed. These trains have provided connectivity to important religious places in the country. The Temple City of Madurai is now directly connected to the IT City of Bengaluru via Vande Bharat. This train will also prove beneficial for pilgrims."
"On the Chennai-Nagercoil route, students, farmers, and IT professionals will greatly benefit. Wherever the convenience of Vande Bharat has reached, the number of tourists has increased, which means that there has been a rise in the income of businesses and shopkeepers. New employment opportunities are also being created in our region," he added.
Further, the Prime Minister asserted that to achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat, the rapid development of southern states is crucial.
Madurai-Bengaluru Vande Bharat
With a speed of just 7.45 hours to travel 430 kilometres, this new service is expected to surpass the existing fastest train, which takes nine and a half hours, to become the fastest train between the two cities.
The Vande Bharat Express will operate six days a week, with Tuesday as its only day off. The train will make stops at several key stations, including Dindigul, Tiruchchirappalli, Karur, Namakkal, Salem, Krishnarajapuram, and Bengaluru Cantonment.
The train departure time from Madurai is 5:15 am and arrives at Bengaluru cantonment at 1:00 pm, according to the schedule. The train is scheduled to depart Bengaluru Cantonment at 1:30 pm and return to Madurai at 9:45 pm. There will be a brief stop at each location, with Tiruchchirappalli and Salem having the longest breaks—five minutes.
Ticket Price
The fare for a chair car is expected to be between Rs 1,200 and Rs 1,300, while the executive class is expected to cost between Rs 1,800 and Rs 2,000.
(WIth inputs from ANI)
