Vande Bharat Metro to hit tracks by December 2023; check features

The highly anticipated Vande Metro is expected to provide an affordable mode of transportation and will connect major cities, while also reducing the pressure on the suburban train network

Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, on April 14, shared an update related to Vande Metro. The minister said that the government is planning to launch 'Vande Metro' by the end of 2023. 

According to media reports, the announcement came after the successful launch of the Vande Bharat Express, a semi-high-speed train, in several parts of the country. The Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF) and the Lucknow-based Research Design and Standard Organisation (RDSO) have been directed by the Railways Ministry to begin production of the rakes for the Vande Metro trains at the earliest.

The upcoming and highly anticipated Vande Metro is expected to provide an affordable mode of transportation and will connect major cities, while also reducing the pressure on the suburban train network. A high-speed track is also being built by the Indian Railways. The track aims to facilitate the testing of high-speed trains.

"The plan to run Vande Metro has been prepared on the basis of the response received by Vande Bharat trains," Vaishnaw said.

"This will enable job seekers and students to get world-class transport from one city to another while saving time," he further added.

Features of Vande Metro

• The Vande Metro will be the short-distance version of the Vande Bharat Express
• The metro will run between cities that are separated by less than 100 kilometres. 
• The Vande Metro trains will give a rapid shuttle-like experience to the passengers
• The train will have eight coaches as against the 16-car composition in a Vande Bharat train