4 days Ago By Joy Sengupta
Pune: The first Vande Metro train will be inaugurated on Monday between Ahmedabad and Bhuj and officials from Central Railway are expecting that all local train rakes will gradually be replaced with Vande Metro rakes. "While details have been awaited, we (Pune rail division) are positive to get some of these rakes. The plan of the railways is to use these rakes in local trains .
Instructions will be followed," the official requesting anonymity said. At present, there are 20 pairs of local trains operating in the Pune division as local services between Pune and Lonavla. In addition to this, around 5 trains operate between Pune and Mumbai as inter-city.
The Vande Metro trains will connect the heart of the major cities to the nearby cities and small towns. Commuters between Pune and Mumbai said authorities should concentrate on introducing these trains between the two cities. "The existing trains move between the two cities is packed almost daily.
With the Pune-Mumbai Expressway witnessing frequent traffic jams and accidents, the frequency of trains on this route needs to increase and the Vande Metro could be the solution. This train, with all its facilities, will ensure that many commuters avoid road travel between the two cities," Kailash Jogte, a frequent traveller, said. The train operates at a speed of 110 kmph, offering faster commuting to passengers.
It is equipped with advanced safety systems like fire detection and aerosol-based fire suppression, along with emergency lights, CCTV, and a talk-back system. Akshay Jadhav, who often travels to Mumbai, said, "Road travel has become extremely scary and one never knows when a traffic jam will occur. During weekends and festive times, the eway witnesses frequent traffic congestion.
It is very important that the number of trains between the two cities increases and Vande Metro is a good alternative for it." Vikas Deshpande, a railway activist and president of the Pune-Daund Pravasi Manch, said, "Not just locals, the MEMU and DEMU trains can be replaced by the Vande Metro rakes which will automatically result in an increase in the number of passengers and the railways will get more revenue. A serious thought should be given to the same.
" The rail authorities have been working on increasing the speed of trains between Pune and Mumbai to 130kmph instead of the present 110kmph. Presently, more than 50,000 travellers travel between Pune and Mumbai on trains such as the Deccan Queen, Deccan Express, Pragati Express, Inter-city Express, etc. The Vande Metro trains have 12 coaches with a seating capacity of 1,150 passengers.
It is designed to connect cities within a 150-200 km radius..
