New Delhi: The Vande Metro has been officially renamed as "Namo Bharat Rapid Rail" by Indian Railways.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the country's first Namo Bharat Rapid Rail service in Gujarat on Monday, a day before his birthday.
The newly flagged off Namo Bharat Rapid Rail will connect Bhuj in Kutch district, with Ahmedabad, covering a distance of 360 kilometres in just under six hours.
Vande Metro (now Namo Bharat Rapid Rail) will connect urban centres to peripheral cities. "While the other metros cover only short distances, these trains will connect cities from the heart of the city to the peripheral cities," the railway ministry said.
According to the Railway Ministry, the metro has a seating capacity of 1,150 passengers.
In terms of accessibility, according to the Ministry, the new train has been designed with inclusivity features such as Divyangjan-friendly toilets, a fully sealed flexible gangway and meal service among others.
The train offers faster journeys between mid-distance cities. Its rapid acceleration and deceleration contribute to efficient travel while driving cabs at both ends eliminates turnaround time,” the Ministry added.
The new version of the train has “12 air-conditioned coaches with centrally controlled automatic sliding doors, modular interiors, continuous LED lighting, toilets with vacuum evacuation, route map indicators, panoramic windows, CCTV, phone charging facilities,” the Western Railways stated.
The train is equipped with advanced safety systems like KAVACH for collision avoidance, automatic smoke/fire detection, and aerosol-based fire suppression, along with emergency lights.
Its advanced features enable it to cover 360-kilometer distance in 5 hours and 45 minutes at a speed of 110 kilometres per hour, the railways said. .
Published 16 September 2024, 07:40 IST
