PM Modi to Flag Off Country's First 'Vande Metro' Service Between Ahmedabad-Bhuj in Gujarat

Ahmedabad: On Monday, during his two-day visit to Gujarat , Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the country's first 'Vande Metro' service between Ahmedabad and Bhuj in Gujarat . Let's know more about Vande Metro service, its timings, fare, and other details.

The Ahmedabad-Bhuj Vande Metro is a fully unreserved air-conditioned train for which passengers can buy tickets from the counter shortly before its departure, Western Railway (Ahmedabad division) public relations officer Pradeep Sharma said on Saturday.

"It will accommodate 2,058 standing and 1,150 sitting passengers. WR carried out a trial of the service early this week," he added.

According to WR officials, the Ahmedabad-Bhuj Vande Metro service will stop at nine stations and cover the 360 kilometre distance in 5 hours and 45 minutes at a top speed of 110 kilometres per hour.

It will depart from Bhuj at 5:05am and reach Ahmedabad Junction at 10:50am, they said.

The 'Vande Metro' concept is designed on the lines of the indigenous semi-high-speed train Vande Bharat service with fully air-conditioned coaches and the 'KAVACH' anti-collision system as well as other state-of-the-art features, they added.

Timings of Vande Metro

The train will start from Bhuj station at 5:05 am and arrive in Ahmedabad at 10:50 am, covering approximately 360 kilometers in 6 hours and 45 minutes. 

On the return journey, it will depart Ahmedabad at 5:30 p.m. and arrive in Bhuj at 11:20 p.m. the same day. The train will travel at speeds of up to 110 km/h, stopping at Anjar, Gandhidham, Bhachau, and Samakhiali in Kutch district, Halvad in Morbi district, Dhrangadhra in Surendranagar district, Viramgam in Ahmedabad rural, and Chandlodiya and Sabarmati stations in Ahmedabad city before arriving at Kalupur's Ahmedabad station.

Vande Metro Fare

According to officials, the minimum charge for a ticket will be Rs 30, inclusive of GST. Although the Ahmedabad division has yet to formally release ticket costs, officials estimate that the base fare for a one-way trip from Bhuj to Ahmedabad, without GST, will be around Rs 430. The railway will also provide weekly, fortnightly, and monthly season tickets at rates corresponding to seven, fifteen, and twenty single journeys, accordingly.

On the first day of his two-day visit to Gujarat on Sunday, PM Modi will attend an event at Vadsar Air Force Station near Ahmedabad.

He will inaugurate the 4th edition of the Global Renewable Energy Investors Meet and Expo (RE-INVEST 2024) at Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre in Gandhinagar on Monday.

He will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs. 8,000 crores in Ahmedabad as well as launch the second phase of the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar metro rail service. 

With PTI Inputs