Time For Indian Railways’ Fastest Ever Train: PM Modi To Flag Off Vande Bharat Express From Delhi On 15 February

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off Vande Bharat Express, India’s first engine-less train, on 15 February 2019 from New Delhi Railway Station, reports Press Trust of India (PTI).

“The PM will flag off the train at 10 am on 15 February and there will be a function in which he will give a speech as well. It's a matter of great pride for us as this is the Railways' first indigenous train,” the official said.

Train 18, a semi-fast train, was rebranded as Vande Bharat Express in January to acknowledge the Make In India status of the train. Made by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, the first locomotive-less train of the country is regarded as a successor to the 30-year old Shatabdi. It was built in a record time of 18 months at a cost of Rs 97 crore.

Vande Bharat Express, on its first route, will ply from Delhi to Varanasi, with stops at Kanpur and Prayagraj. The train is a fully air-conditioned 16-coach unit with two executive chair cars.

But Here Comes Vandalism

However, it was recently reported that Vande Bharat Express was vandalised for the second time in two months. A video released by Aaj Tak shows one of the windows in the coach of the Integral Coach Factory-manufactured (ICF) train being damaged.

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