400 new Vande Bharat trains likely to be announced in Budget 2023: Sources

According to sources in the railway ministry, about 300 to 400 new Vande Bharat trains may be announced in the upcoming Union Budget.

The Vande Bharat train (File photo)

By Milan Sharma: In the biggest budget allocation for the Indian Railways, approximately 300 to 400 new Vande Bharat trains may be announced in the upcoming Union Budget, according to sources in the ministry.

Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told The Times of India that the first Vande Bharat train with sleeper coaches will be rolled out in the first quarter of 2024. Speaking at a media event, the railway Minister added that the plan for the production of 475 Vande Bharat trains in the next three years is on track.

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“The target of having 475 Vande Bharat trains…is on track. In the last budget, 400 trains were sanctioned and before that 75 had been sanctioned. We will be achieving the entire target in the coming three years,” said Ashwini Vaishnaw.

A decision is yet to be taken on whether these trains will replace the existing Rajdhani and Duronto trains on routes like Delhi-Mumbai, Delhi-Howrah and other major routes.

Meanwhile, a senior official told PTI that the Indian Railways has plans to become a major exporter of Vande Bharat trains by 2025-26 to markets in Europe, South America and East Asia.

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