Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to flag off the Tirunelveli – Chennai Vande Bharat Express Train on Sunday via video conference. The first train will reportedly leave from Tirunelveli Junction around noon and reach the capital city in about 7.5 hours. The train will arrive at its starting location on Thursday for mandatory trials ahead of the launch event. Southern Railway is also set to get two more Vande Bharat trains on Sunday.
Following its initial run, the Tirunelveli-Chennai train is likely to depart at 6 am and reach Chennai around 1:50 pm. The return journey will begin at 2:50 pm on all days except Tuesdays from the state capital. According to reports the locomotive will be operated at an average speed of 83.30 km and halt at Virudhunagar, Madurai, Dindigul and Tiruchi.
Fare prices are yet to be notified and the total number of coaches may very based on the demand.
This will be Tamil Nadu’s third Vande Bharat route after the launch of Chennai-Mysuru Vande Bharat Express in November last year and subsequently the Chennai-Coimbatore Vande Bharat train.
The reports come mere days after officials confirmed that the first Vande Metro will be rolled out in January next year, followed by the Vande Bharat sleeper train in March 2024.
“Sleeper coach of Vande Bharat will be rolled out in the current financial year where the first train is under production and will be rolled out in March 2024…Vande Metro will be rolled out by January which will have 12 coaches,” Integral Coach Factory General Manager BG Mallya said recently.
Meanwhile, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on September 5 that Madhya Pradesh’s Neemuch would soon get a Vande Bharat Express.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Updated: 20 Sep 2023, 11:13 PM IST
