GUWAHATI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the first Vande Bharat Express for Assam on Monday via video conferencing.
During the event, Modi will also dedicate the newly electrified sections of New Bongaigaon--Dudhnoi--Mendipather and Guwahati--Chaparmukh to the nation, reports stated.
Additionally, he will also inaugurate the new DEMU/MEMU workshop shed at Lumding.
The Vande Bharat Express is a premium semi-high-speed train service, designed with aesthetics and equipped with var facilities, including full air conditioning.
The train will operate between Guwahati in Assam and New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, covering a distance of 411 km in just 5 hours and 30 minutes.
Notably, this significantly reduces the current shortest journey time offered by any train on this route.
The Vande Bharat Express will operate six days a week, excluding Tuesdays, catering to the travel needs of IT professionals, businessmen, students, and tourists alike, as per reports.
Under the 'Make In India' initiative, the Vande Bharat Express is a testament to Indian Railways' commitment to indigenous production.
Manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), each train set costs approximately ₹110 crore.
The train set features an aerodynamic design on both ends, reducing air drag and giving it a futuristic appearance.
The Vande Bharat Express consists of eight coach chair car configurations with a seating capacity of 530 passengers, maximising onboard space utilization.
It includes executive and normal chair cars, along with driving trailer coaches.
The train is equipped with advanced safety features such as the Centralized Coach Monitoring and Control System, driver-guard communication with voice recording, and the indigenously developed Train Collision Avoidance System called 'KAVACH,' ensuring optimum reliability, reports stated.