Ajit Karn
Similar to Vande Bharat trains, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed the Ministry of Railways to develop “Vande Metro,” a train concept that will operate between two neighbouring major stations, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated in Hyderabad on Saturday.
Last year, Indian Railways subsidised the shipping of food grains, fertilisers, and many other commodities to the tune of 59,000 crore, which is equivalent to a 55% discount for each passenger, he told reporters.
“This year’s objective was set by the honourable Prime Minister. After the success of the Vande Bharat train, (he requested) the development of Vande Metro, a new world-class regional train “he remarked.
The Minister stated that they intend to release a prototype over the next 12 to 16 months, followed by a rollout and operation for at least one year.
Explaining the concept of “Vande Metro,” he stated that trains will operate frequently between two cities separated by less than 100 kilometres.
According to him, in Europe these trains are known as “Regional trans.”
Regarding Vande Bharat trains, he stated that in the past two and a half years, they have travelled nearly 12,00,000 kilometres, and every seven to eight days, a new train is introduced.
The Railway Minister stated that the Vande Bharat train between Secunderabad and Visakhapatnam is operating at around 120 percent capacity, causing the department to introduce additional routes in Telangana.
Mr. Vaishnaw refuted rumours that the railways are being privatised by asserting that the central government is acting in the best interests of the Ministry and that privatisation is “completely out of the question.” The Centre intends to promote Hyderabad as a centre for 6G and advanced railway technologies including as AI, machine Learning, and IoT, according to him.
“Therefore, centres of excellence are being established in Hyderabad for these two essential and highly futuristic technologies,” he explained.
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The minister stated that the recently presented Union Budget is one of the most significant budgets ever presented in this country at a time when the entire globe is experiencing great difficulty and uncertainty.
