By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 23 May: The Vande Bharat Express to be run on a daily basis from 29 May between Dehradun and Delhi has begun its trial run between the two stations. In this regard, the Vande Bharat Express train starting very early from Anand Vihar Station in Delhi reached Dehradun Station this morning and was again flagged off in the afternoon for Delhi. While returning to Delhi, the train was stopped at Haridwar Station for a while. The train, which will be the fastest ever train to run from Dehradun will be flagged off at 11 a.m. from Dehradun on 25 May by Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnav. However, the regular daily run of the train will begin on 28 or 29 May. So far, the schedule for the train and its proposed halts has not been finalised. The time schedule is being worked out by the Railway Board according to the Railway officials. Sources indicate that the train is likely to have one stop in Saharanpur between Dehradun and Anand Vihar, Delhi. It will take around four hours to complete the journey and will have a maximum speed of 180 km per hour though the average speed is likely to be in the range of 130 to 160 km per hour.
The Vande Bharat Express to run from Doon will be the 18th Vande Bharat train of the country. In the trial run, the train arrived in Dehradun and left for Delhi with just 8 coaches, although the railway officials claimed that it would be a sixteen coach train. The preparations for the flagging off of the train are in the final stages now. Work is underway to set up tents on two platforms of the Dehradun Station and tomorrow the movement of the trains will not be done from these two platforms. The train will be flagged off from Platform Number 1 by Vaishnav.
It may be recalled that several senior railway officials including DRM, Moradabad Division, Ajay Nandan had arrived in Dehradun and yesterday inspected the Dehradun station and taken stock of the preparations. After this, all the officers left for inspection of the Roorkee Railway Station.
DRM Nandan was in Dehradun for the past few days to oversee the preparations for the Railway Minister’s event.
