Pulwama attack can’t stop India’s march: Goyal

Mukesh Ranjan
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 15

As the inaugural run of Vande Bharat Express began today after being flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from New Delhi Railway Station, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, who was on board, informed that the plan is afoot to expand the services of this semi-high speed trains to all the four metro cities of the country. 

Talking to reporters travelling with him in the train to Varanasi, the minister claimed that the coward attack by terrorists at Pulwama would never be able to deter India’s 130 crore people’s march to development. 

“Train 18 or Vande Bharat Express is one such feat that our own engineers and workmen have accomplished. We all are feeling proud today,” Goyal said.

The minister also informed that the Railways has already placed orders for another 30 set of Train 18 with Integrated Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai.  The train began its journey from New Delhi Railway Station at 11.19 am, with 9.30 pm expected time to reach Varanasi. Though on a normal commercial run it would take eight hours between Delhi and Varanasi, today it will take more time as there would be longer stay at Kanpur and Allahabad stations for ceremonial functions, said a senior official. 

Member, Traffic Railway Board, Girish Pillai said “Even without having any substantive publicity, the booking for its first commercial run on February 17, 100% tickets have already been sold for both sides.”

Pillai said the speed of the train depended on two factors — capability of the trains and the track available. “Train 18 can run at the highest speed of 160 kmph, but the track capacity is 130 kmph and so it is currently running at speed between 110 kmph and 130 kmph,” he said. Pillai also indicated that the Railways would soon make efforts to replace existing Shatabdi trains with Vande Bharat Express. The priority routes could be Delhi-Chandigarh, Delhi-Amritsar, Mumbai-Ahmedabad and Delhi-Agra.