Being an ardent traveller, I'm always looking forward to experiencing new journeys. It was a pleasure for me to ride on the Vande Bharat Express, which was inaugurated by our Hon'ble PM.
Here are some notes and observations from the trip, but before we go further, here are a few things you should know about the Vande Bharat Express:
a) This Chennai-Bangalore-Mysuru train was the 5th in the series of Vande Bharat Express Trains in the country and the first for South India. This was recently inaugurated on the 11th of November by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
b) The Vande Bharat series of express trains are high speed trains that are capable to handle speeds of 160-180 kmph. Right now on the Southern section, it averages 75-80 KMPH, with a high of 110 KMPH on certain sections.
c) The Train comes with a collision avoidance system and has GPS marker 32 " screens for each compartment. It also has Wifi set up, which functions as a local intranet similar to inflight entertainment systems.
d) The Vande Bharat series of trains are built to be 15% more energy efficient on the air-conditioning ,than former high speed trains. It also has a state of the art air purification system. It's a premium airline experience added to travel by railways.
Here's a sneak peek of my experience:
1. The train arrived in SBC- KSR Bengaluru (Platform 7 that day) at 2:50 pm and left sharp at 3 pm.
You need to make sure that you are inside the train in the limited time gap, since the automated doors might shut if you're late! I was nearly locked out, since I had stepped out to buy something from a stall.
2. The train feels spacious. I was able to fill up my luggage rack comfortably, even though the train was completely occupied. The full view of the windows makes it amazing to watch the landscape pass by.
3. The ticket price is Rs 940 from Bangalore to Chennai for Chair Car seats. Executive class is higher. Executive class has 2+2 seating rather than the 3+2 seating. Seats on the EC can rotate towards the windows
4. The train stops only at Katpadi. I tried ordering a Dominos Pizza on IRCTC app against my PNR, and they tried delivering it to the compartment. But with the auto door lock, it might a slightly messy thing to do!
5. The train reached Chennai at 7: 36 PM and it was actually on time! The journey was covered in 4 and a half hours only!
6. The train has a WiFi connection, which is quite similar to inflight entertainment.
7. Food is the only bummer on this train! I feel Shatabdi offers a better service when it comes to meals, but I guess Vande Bharat will do a better job with time!
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Have you taken a ride on any of the Vande Bharat Express trains? Do share your experience in the comments below!
Think we missed out on something? Tell us about it in the comments below. Or write about it here on Tripoto.