Amit Shah flags off Delhi-Katra Vande Bharat Express

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah flagged off the Vande Bharat Express at the New Delhi Railway Station on Thursday.

The new engine-less and semi-high speed train, which will run from New Delhi to Shri Vaishno Devi Katra (SVDK), will reduce the travel time to 8 hours from the present 12 hours.

The Delhi-Katra route was chosen by the Railway Board in a bid to capitalise on the high traffic volume owing to the Vaishno Devi temple pilgrimage.

Last month, Indian Railways Board chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav said that the Delhi-Katra Vande Bharat train trials have been finished.

“It will be a gift to the pilgrims and it will begin plying from Navratras. We are trying to upgrade our busy routes. Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah will be ready by December 2021,” Yadav said.

“40 Vande Bharat trains will come out by 2022. New specifications are being worked on. There would be transparency, it will be a ‘Make in India’ project,” Yadav further said.

The first Vande Bharat Express, also known as Train 18 was launched on the Delhi-Varanasi route.