Modi to virtually flag off Vande Bharat on Sankranti as gift to Telugu States

VIJAYAWADA: As Sankranti gift to the people of the Telugu States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to virtually flag off the Vande Bharat Express between Secunderabad and Visakhapatnam on January 15.Union minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw and Union minister of Tourism G Kishan Reddy would be physically present at platform no. 10 of the railway station for the launch.

“The Prime Minister will virtually flag off the prestigious Vande Bharat train from Secunderabad Railway Station on January 15 at 10 am as a gift to the Telugu people on the occasion of Sankranti,” Kishan Reddy announced on Wednesday.

The new train service will cover a distance of 702 km between Secunderabad and Visakhapatnam in approximately eight hours. The intermediate stops envisaged for the train include Warangal, Khammam, Vijayawada and Rajamahendravaram.

It may be noted that PM Modi was scheduled to flag off the train from Secunderabad railway station on January 19 and participate in a couple of other development works at Hyderabad and Warangal in Telangana. However, the Prime Minister’s Officer (PMO) on Wednesday morning announced that his visit had been deferred. With Modi’s tour being cancelled, it was expected that the flagging off of the train might be delayed.

Specifications of the train

Over 80% of the components used in the making of the Vande Bharat Express are indigenous. It features a GPS-based passenger information system, bio-vacuum toilets, and rotational seats which can be aligned in the direction of travel.