Vande Bharat Express aka Train 18- The Fastest Train in India

Vande Bharat Express, also known as Train 18, is India’s fastest train yet which is completely ‘Made in India’ from scratch. The train was made within a span of 18 months and has been flagged off by PM Narendra Modi on the 15th of February, 2019. With a top speed of 180 km/hr, the train is functioned to run at 160 km/hr on the train tracks for safety purposes. Train 18 aka Vande Bharat Express is considered to be the successor of the 30-years old Shatabdi Express, is the fastest engineless self-propelled train in the country and is believed to reduce travelling time by 15% i.e. 4-5 hours.

Structure

The train has been created by Integral Coach Factory in Chennai within a span of 18 months with a whopping budget of 100 crores. Because of the time it took to be made it was named Train 18 which was later changed to Vande Bharat Express. It boasts of two executive coaches in the centre with 52 seats each. The other trailer coaches have 78 seats each.

Schedule and Timings

Vande Bharat Express aka Train 18 is scheduled to run 5 days a week from Delhi to Varanasi covering a distance of 752 km in 8 hours at a speed of 160 km/hr.
The timings are 6:00 AM - 2:00 PM from Delhi to Varanasi and 3:00 PM to 11:00 PM from Varanasi to Delhi.

Tickets and Meals

Ticket Plan:

New Delhi to Varanasi: Chair Car - INR 1760, Executive Class - INR 3310
Varanasi to New Delhi: Chair Car - INR 1700, Executive Class - INR 3260
Delhi to Kanpur: Chair Car - INR 1090, Executive Class - INR 2105
Delhi to Prayagraj: Chair Car - INR 1395, Executive Class - INR 2750
Kanpur to Prayagraj: Chair Car - INR 595, Executive Class - INR 1170
Kanpur to Varanasi: Chair Car - INR 1020, Executive Class - INR 1815

Meal Plan:

New Delhi to Varanasi: Chair Car - INR 344, Executive Class - INR 399
Varanasi to New Delhi: Chair Car - INR 288, Executive Class - INR 349
New Delhi to Kanpur and Prayagraj: Chair Car - INR 122, Executive Class - INR 155

Amenities and Features

The train boasts of a plethora of amenities and facilities which are at par with some of the best trains in the world. The features include wifi, LED screens for entertainment, modular toilets with bio-vacuum flushes, diasabled-friendly toilets, GPS based tracking, automatic doors, mini pantry, state of the art equipment, interconnected fully sealed gangways, roller blinds etc.

The train is now in service and has reduced travelling time considerably. It is especially a steal deal for the students and young working professionals who just get a few days off work and want to save the little time they get to go visit home. The tickets are also reasonably priced as compared to the humongous flight ticket charges. The train is running all booked already and the tickets have a long waiting list. In case you are planning a trip in the Vande Bharat Express, we recommend you to book your tickets well in advance to avail the premium service and have a wonderful journey.