HYDERABAD: Vande Bharat Express being introduced between Secunderabad and Tirupati by the Indian Railways will prove a boon for thousands of devotees visiting Tirumala from the twin cities. The semi-high-speed train with modern facilities being operated between Secunderabad and Visakhapatnam has proved very successful. The train has been running with 100 per cent occupancy since its launch, officials said.
According to sources in South Central Railway (SCR), the Vande Bharat train to Tirupati is very likely to be operated via Bibinagar and Guntur. Since the first Vande Bharat is being operated via Vijayawada, covering Warangal and Khammam, the railways want to provide this connectivity to the passengers of Nalgonda and Guntur.
This will be the second Vande Bharat train in the SCR zone which is being manufactured by Integral Coach Factory. There has been a huge demand from passengers to introduce Vande Bharat to Tirupati. Every day, thousands of devotees travel to Tirumala by several trains.
The zone is yet to upgrade the Bibinagar - Guntur section to a maximum speed of 130 kmph. The trains are currently being operated at a maximum speed of 110 kmph on this section. The other sections such as Secunderabad-Bibinagar and Guntur-Gudur have been upgraded. Once the Vande Bharat is approved for Tirupati, railways would also upgrade the Bibinagar - Guntur section.
At present, Secunderabad - Trivandrum Sabari Express, and Lingampally - Tirupati Narayanadri Express are operated to Tirupati via Guntur. This journey takes around 12 hours and the proposed Vande Bharat Express would reduce the travel time to less than nine hours. Secunderabad - Tirupati Vande Bharat is likely to have stops at Nalgonda, Guntur, Ongole, Nellore, and Gudur in both directions.
PM Modi to flag off Vande Bharat to Tirupati
Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Hyderabad on April 8 to inaugurate various railway and road infrastructure projects across the State. He will lay the foundation stone for the remodelling of Secunderabad Railway Station, which is estimated to cost around Rs 700 crore.
Besides that, he will launch the Vande Bharat Express train from Secunderabad to Tirupathi. He will also address a public meeting at the Parade Grounds.
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