Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off Train 18, the country's first semi-high speed train, from the New Delhi Railway Station, the government said in a statement. The commercial run of Train 18, the bookings for which have already begun, will start from February 17. Also known as Vande Bharat Express, Train 18 will run on New Delhi-Kanpur-Allahabad-Varanasi route. The Vande Bharat Express will cover the distance between Delhi and Varanasi in eight hours and will run on all days except Mondays and Thursdays, according to the official statement.
PM @NarendraModi flags off #VandeBharatExpress #India's first semi-high speed train from New Delhi pic.twitter.com/mdA3Nz2CJk
Here are the 10 things to know about Vande Bharat Express' ticket prices, routes and facilities:
1. A Delhi-Varanasi journey by the train will cost Rs 3,310 (per head) and Rs 1,760 for Executive Class (EC) and Chair Car (CC), respectively. These ticket prices for Train 18 journeys are inclusive of taxes. On train's return journey, the fare for a journey from Varanasi to New Delhi for the CC booking class has been fixed at Rs 1,700 whereas that for the EC class will cost Rs 3,260, news agency IANS (Indo Asian News-Service) quoted railway officials as saying.
2. The fares for a Delhi-Kanpur journey by Vande Bharat Express (Train 18) has been fixed at Rs 1,090 for CC and Rs 2,105 for EC, and those for a Delhi-Prayagraj journey at Rs 1,395 and Rs 2,750, respectively.
3. Tickets for a journey between Kanpur and Prayagraj will cost Rs 595 for CC and Rs 1,170 for EC. A journey between Kanpur and Varanasi will cost Rs 1,020 for the CC class and Rs 1,815 for EC.
4. No concession and child fare will be allowed in this train, railway officials added.
5. Passengers travelling from Delhi to Varanasi in EC booking class will be charged Rs 399 for morning tea, breakfast and lunch, while those opting for CC will have to pay Rs 344. Similarly, the passengers travelling from New Delhi to Kanpur and Prayagraj will have to pay Rs 155 and Rs 122 for EC and CC, respectively.
6. From Varanasi to New Delhi, the passengers will be charged Rs 349 and Rs 288 in the EC and CC, respectively. They will be served evening tea with snacks and dinner.
7.Train 18 has 16 air-conditioned coaches of which two are executive class. The total seating capacity is 1,128 passengers.
8. Every coach has a pantry facility to serve hot meals and, hot and cold beverages. The insulation is meant to keep heat and noise to very low levels for additional passenger comfort.
9. All coaches of Train 18 are equipped with automatic doors, a GPS-based audio-visual passenger information system and an on-board hotspot WiFi system. All toilets are bio-vacuum type. The lighting is dual mode, that is diffused for general illumination and personal for every seat.
10. The train has a regenerative braking system which can save up to 30 per cent of electrical energy, according to news agency Press Trust of India.
(With inputs from agencies)
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