Good News For Mata Vaishno Devi Devotees: Indian Railways To Roll Out Delhi-Katra Vande Bharat Express From Navratris

With trials done and dusted, the second Vande Bharat Express train will begin to ply between New Delhi and Katra in Jammu and Kashmir during the Navratri festival, reports Asian News International (ANI).

"The Delhi-Katra Vande Bharat Express will be a gift to the pilgrims and it will begin plying from Navratras. We are trying to upgrade our busy routes. Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah will be ready by December 2021," Vinod Kumar Yadav, Chairman of the Railway Board, said.

Yadav also informed the media persons that by 2022, the Indian railways would have 40 Vande Bharat Express trains plying on its network across the nation. In 2020, 15 of these trains will be launched, while 25 more will follow in 2021.

He added that the new Vande Bharat Express will be fit for sleeper coaches, a facility that is amiss in existing Vande Bharat trains.

Yadav also said that the 40 Vande Bharat Express trains, slated to be rolled out by 2022, will all be built totally under the 'Make in India' programme. The tenders for these trains have already been floated.