Modi's Mumbai visit: Mumbaikars have been waiting for this day for a long time, says PM

File Photo/PTI

Congratulating the residents of Mumbai after dedicating two Vande Bharat trains, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that Vande Bharat trains reflect India's speed and scale. He said the trains will ease the sufferings of the commuters and save their time.

At an event at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in south Mumbai, Modi first flagged off the the CSMT-Solapur Vande Bharat Express and later another semi high-speed train linking the financial capital to Sainagar Shirdi temple town in Ahmednagar district.

This is Modi's second visit to the city in less than a month. On January 19, the PM inaugurated and laid foundation stones for infrastructure and healthcare projects worth more than Rs 38,000 crore in Mumbai.

Also read: PM Modi reaches Mumbai, flags off two Vande Bharat trains from CSMT

His visit assumes significance in view of the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls.

The Prime Minister said that today's India will have to rapidly improve its public transport system. "Vande Bharat train is a magnificent picture of today's modern India," he said, "It is a reflection of India's speed and scale. You can see the speed with which the country is launching Vande Bharat."

He said Mumbaikars have been waiting for this day for a long time. The train will benefit people from all walks of life including farmers, businessmen and devotees.

Earlier, thanking the Prime Minister "for the huge allocation made to Maharashtra Railway in the Union Budget", Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said it is for the first time that Maharashtra Railway was allocated 13,000 crore in the Union Budget.

Mumbai-Solapur train, the ninth Vande Bharat train to be launched in the country will connect the country's commercial capital to the City of Textiles and Hutatmas in Maharashtra and ensure faster connectivity to pilgrimage centres such as Siddheshwar in Solapur, Akkalkot, Tuljapur, Pandharpur near Solapur and Alandi near Pune.

According to Railways, the existing superfast train takes 7 hours 55 minutes while Vande Bharat will complete the same journey in 6 hours 30 minutes, thus saving 1 hour 30 minutes of travel time. It will also connect pilgrimage centres, textile hub, tourist sites and the education hub of Pune.

The 10th Vande Bharat Train in the country, the Mumbai-Sainagar Shirdi Vande Bharat Express will boost connectivity to important pilgrimage centres in Maharashtra's Nashik, Trimbakeshwar, Sainagar Shirdi, and Shani Singapur.

The Vande Bharat Train is an indigenously manufactured, Semi-High Speed and self-propelled train set. The train is equipped with state-of-the-art passenger amenities, providing a much faster, more comfortable and more convenient travel experience for railway passengers.

According to Indian Railways, Vande Bharat 2.0 is equipped with advanced and improved features enabling it to reach 0 to 100 kmph in just 52 seconds, a further 129 seconds to reach 160 kmph, and a maximum speed of up to 180 kilometres per hour. The improved Vande Bharat will weigh 392 tonnes as compared to the previous version, which weighed 430 tonnes.

It also comes with Wi-Fi connection on-demand facility. Every coach has 32-inch screens providing passengers with information and infotainment, compared to the 24-inch screens in the previous version. The Vande Bharat Express 2.0 is also environment friendly as the ACs are 15 per cent more energy efficient.

With dust-free clean air cooling of the traction motor, travel will become more comfortable. The side recliner seats, which were provided only to Executive Class passengers earlier, have now been made available for all the classes. Executive coaches have the added feature of 180-degree rotating seats.

In its new design, the Vande Bharat Express comes with a photo-catalytic ultraviolet air purification system in the Roof-Mounted Package Unit (RMPU) for air purification. Further, as recommended by Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO), Chandigarh, this system is designed and installed on both ends of RMPU to filter and clean the air, keeping it free from germs, bacteria, and viruses.

The Vande Bharat Express 2.0 offers various superior and aircraft-like travelling experiences. It is equipped with advanced state-of-the-art safety features including an indigenously developed Train Collision Avoidance System. (With inputs from Agencies)