Train 18 Undergoes A Rebranding: Now, Vande Bharat Express, In Line With People’s Wishes, Says Piyush Goyal 

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has said that Train 18 will henceforth be rebranded as Vande Bharat Express. This is in acknowledgement of the Make In India status of the train, reports New Indian Express.

The semi-fast train, to ply from Delhi to Varanasi, is a 16-coach unit built in 18 months at a cost of Rs 97 crore. 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.

Goyal, addressing the media on Sunday (27 January), said that though conceptualised as Train 18, it has been renamed after suggestions from the public.

Vande Bharat Express will be fully air-conditioned, have two executive chair cars and stops at Kanpur and Prayagraj (Allahabad).