Indian Railways Anniversary: Vande Bharat Achieves New Record by Ferrying Over 2 Cr People

 India’s first semi-high-speed train service, Vande Bharat, has so far ferried over two crore passengers to their destinations since its launch. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on February 15, 2019, launched the first set of Vande Bharat trains between Varanasi and Delhi in October 2019. The second service was launched between Delhi and Katra. As of March 2024, 102 Vande Bharat trains are in service.

The Indian Railways on Monday15April celebrated its 171th anniversary. The first train service was launched between Mumbai and Thane in 1853. From network expansion to the introduction of Vande Bharat trains, officials hailed the journey of Railways.

“Celebrating 171 illustrious years of Indian Railways! On 16 April 1853, the 1st passenger train ran from Bori Bunder (Bombay) to Thane, marking the beginning of an incredible journey!” Ministry of Railways posted on X.   

As per the railway officials, the distance travelled by all the Vande Bharat trains so far is equivalent to 310 rounds around the Earth. "The distance that the Vande Bharat trains covered in the financial year 2023-24 is equivalent to taking 310 rounds of our planet Earth. Vande Bharat, which offers several world-class passenger amenities, is a new-age train based on distributed-power technology which helps quick acceleration and deceleration along with smooth journey," news agency PTI quoted a railway official as saying.

The officials said the indigenous train has gained significant popularity since its launch, especially among the youth. He said the facilities offered by this train are equivalent to that of aeroplanes. “The passenger data speaks for its popularity. Since its launch on February 15, 2019, more than two crore passengers have travelled in it because it offers facilities parallel to aeroplanes,” he said.