Vande Bharat not terribly fast but it offers comfort

The two new Vande Bharat trains won't save a tremendous amount of time compared to trains that currently ply between the city and Solapur and Shirdi, but they offer commuters a comfortable journey thanks to a host of amenities and facilities.

The Vande Bharat Express train between Mumbai and Solapur, the nation's ninth blue-and-white train, will connect important pilgrimage centres such as Siddheshwar in Solapur and nearby Akkalkot, Tuljapur and Pandharpur and Alandi near Pune.

While the regular train on the route, the Siddheshwar Express, covers the distance from Mumbai to Solapur in 7.5 hours, the indigenously manufactured self-propelled Vande Bharat train will cover the 400-km distance in 6.35 hours. Along the way, the train is expected to stop at four stations - Dadar, Kalyan, Pune and Kurduwadi.

The semi-high-speed train between Mumbai and Sainagar Shirdi will be the country's 10th Vande Bharat Express. It will connect important pilgrimage centres Nashik, Trimbakeshwar, Shani Singnapur and Sainagar Shirdi.

Also read: Twin Vande Bharat Express trains from Mumbai?

While the existing Dadar-Shirdi Express takes six hours, the Vande Bharat Express train will cover the 340-km distance in 5.24 hours. The train will halt at three stations along the route - Dadar, Thane and Nashik Road. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the trains to Solapur and Shirdi at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus on Friday.

Salient features of Vande Bharat trains

>> 32-inch information and infotainment system in coaches
>> Level-II Safety Integration Certification for better train control management
>> Kavach train collision avoidance system
>> Automatic plug doors and touch-free sliding doors
>> Revolving seats in exec class
>> Emergency light in coaches
>> 4 platform side cameras
>> Coach control management system
>> Aspiration- and aerosol-based fire detection, supp-ression systems in coaches and electrical cubicles and toilets
>> Better heat ventilation and AC control
>> Special air-conditioning duct for silent and equal distribution of cool air
>> 4 emergency windows in every coach
>> Emergency talkback units
>> Special toilets for Divyangjan
>> Driver-guard communication with voice recording facility
>> Bio vacuum toilets with touch-free amenities
>> Seat handles with seat numbers in Braille
>> Better floodproofing for under-slung electrical equipment, which will withstand floods up to a height of 650 mm