Over 1,000 Amrit Bharat trains to be made in coming years: Vaishnaw

India will manufacture at least 1,000 new-generation Amrit Bharat trains in the coming years and the work to make trains that can run at a speed of 250 kmph was on, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday.

In an exclusive interview to PTI Videos, Vaishnaw also said the Railways has already started working on the export of Vande Bharat trains and the country should see the first export in the coming five years.

While speaking on the transformational initiatives taken by the Railways in the last 10 years of the Narendra Modi government, he said the world's highest railway bridge -- Chenab bridge -- and the first under-river water tunnel for Kolkata metro are some of the significant technological advancements that happened in the rail sector.

"The railways has a huge social obligation. We carry about 700 crore people every year. Two and a half crore practically every day. The fare structure is such that if the cost of carrying a person is Rs 100, we charge Rs 45. So we give 55 per cent discount to every person who travels by railways on an average," Vaishnaw said.

Talking about affordability, the minister said, "We have designed Amrit Bharat which is a world-class train. It provides 1,000 km of travel at a price of only Rs 454. That is the kind of affordability that has been provided."

"Vande Bharat is highly popular among youths. Practically, every week one Vande Bharat is getting inducted into the fleet. We will be manufacturing at least 400 to 500 of these trains in the coming few years," Vaishnaw added.