Integral Coach Factory rolls out Vande Metro trains; trial run in July

CHENNAI: The first Vande Metro train, the shorter distance version of the popular Vande Bharat Express, was rolled out from the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai on Tuesday. The much-anticipated train is designed to offer a better ride experience for commuters.

According to Railway officials, Vande Metro is aimed at catering to passengers travelling up to 250 km. These trains will be operated on routes spanning between 100 km and 250 km, while the other variant in the works, Vande Bharat sleeper trains, will be run on routes exceeding 1,000 km.

As per the plans charted by the Railway Ministry, Vande Metro trains are all set to link 124 cities. The routes identified so far include Chennai-Tirupati, Bhubaneswar-Balasore, Agra-Mathura, Delhi-Rewari and Lucknow-Kanpur. There are also reports that it would connect other routes in Tamil Nadu, including Chennai to Arakkonam, though it has not been finalised yet.

"Operating on existing railway tracks, these air-conditioned trains will serve passengers travelling between major urban centres and adjacent satellite towns, with a primary focus on accommodating more passengers in the unreserved category. The Vande Metro trains are designed to have quick acceleration and will make frequent stops. Each train will be equipped with 12 coaches containing large automatic doors and side seats, providing additional standing room for passengers," said officials.

If necessary to accommodate more passengers on busy routes, these trains can be expanded to up to 16 coaches, officials added.

The trial run of Vande Metro trains is expected to begin in July, followed by the testing of the sleeper variant.