NEW DELHI: This month, there are plans to launch four new Vande Bharat Express trains. As per reports, the Indian railways intends to introduce these trains on the Delhi-Chandigarh, Chennai-Tirunelveli, Gwalior-Bhopal, and Lucknow-Prayagraj routes. It is said that the trains will likely commence operations by the end of the month. Officials have mentioned that out of the four trains, one route might have a 16-coach configuration, while the others are expected to be eight-coach trains.

Meanwhile, recent statements from railway officials reveal that the Indian-built semi-high-speed Vande Bharat Express will don a "saffron" color. However, the new saffron Vande Bharat Express is not yet operational and is presently stationed at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, where Vande Bharat trains are manufactured. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has stated that the color of the 28th rake of this indigenous train is "inspired by Indian Tricolour."

Railway officials  have disclosed that a total of 25 rakes of Vande Bharat Express are currently operational on their designated routes, with two rakes reserved. They further added that the color change of the 28th rake is being implemented on a trial basis.

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated two new and upgraded versions of Vande Bharat Express trains, namely Gorakhpur-Lucknow and Jodhpur-Sabarmati, at Gorakhpur Station in Uttar Pradesh. This significant milestone takes the total number of operational services across the country to 50.

It is worth noting that India's semi-high-speed train set now serves all rail-electrified states in the country. With 50 operational services, the Vande Bharat Express has transformed rail travel by offering state-of-the-art amenities and reducing travel time for passengers.

The first Vande Bharat Express was inaugurated on February 15, 2019, by the Prime Minister, running between New Delhi and Varanasi. Manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, the train set exemplifies the 'Make-In-India' initiative and showcases India's engineering expertise.

The project to manufacture indigenous semi-high-speed train sets commenced in mid-2017, and within 18 months, the ICF Chennai completed Train-18. In January 2019, India's first semi-high-speed train was rebranded as Vande Bharat Express to emphasize its made-in-India status.

Indian Railways Adds More Stops for Trains Heading South

7 Railway Staff Get Suspension Following Odisha Train Tragedy