Prime Minister Narendra Modi was slated to visit West Bengal to flag off the seventh Howrah-New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express, but he said in his virtual address, “because of my predicament, I couldn’t attend the ceremony.”
The virtual event took place in the presence of the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee. Also, present on the occasion were Governor C V Ananda Bose and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Howrah and New Jalpaiguri, the entry point to the northeast, will be connected by the Vande Bharat Express. According to authorities, the blue-and-white train would save three hours of travel time compared to other trains on the route because it travels 564 kilometres in 7.45 hours.
There will be three stops along the way in Bolpur, Malda, and Barsoi. Regular travellers, tea business executives, and visitors to the Himalayas in North Bengal and Sikkim are likely to favour the Vande Bharat express due to its sophisticated passenger facilities. There are 16 carriages on the cutting-edge train, including two for the drivers. From January 1, 2023, rail tickets will be available. The cost of the ticket will be Rs 2,825 for the EC category and Rs 1,565 for the CC category.
Routes of Vande Bharat
All seven of India’s Vande Bharat trains have been launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The first Vande Bharat trains travel from New Delhi to Varanasi, the second from New Delhi to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (J&K), the third from Gandhinagar to Mumbai, the fourth from New Delhi to Amb Andaura in Himachal Pradesh, the fifth from Chennai to Mysuru, and the sixth, which is the most recent, travels from Nagpur to Bilaspur.
