Kolkata-Guwahati Vande Bharat sleeper train ready: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said – PM Modi will flag off this month.

New Delhi. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the much-awaited Vande Bharat sleeper train between Guwahati and Kolkata later this month. “These services will be operational in the next 15-20 days, probably around January 18 or 19,” Vaishnav said. We have requested the Prime Minister and everything is clear. I will announce the exact date in the next two-three days.

He told that the passenger capacity of this train with 16 coaches is 823 and its design speed is 180 kilometers per hour. However, it will currently run at a speed of 120-130 kmph between the two cities and cover major districts of Assam and West Bengal. Elections are going to be held in both the states this year. Describing this development as an important achievement for the country, Vaishnav said that the ticket fare of Vande Bharat Sleeper train will be much lower than air travel.

“On Vande Bharat, the fare for AC Third AC will be approximately Rs 2,300, AC Second AC will be approximately Rs 3,000 and AC First AC will be approximately Rs 3,600 including meals,” the minister said. These fares have been fixed keeping the middle class in mind. ,

Vaishnav told that the fare for Guwahati-Kolkata air travel is around Rs 6,000 to 8,000. The Railway Minister gave information to the reporters through a PowerPoint presentation, according to which this train of 16 coaches includes 11 coaches of Third AC, four coaches of Second AC and one coach of First AC. Out of total 823 seats, 611 are in Third AC, 188 in Second AC and 24 in First AC.

Other features available in the train include ergonomically designed berths with better cushioning, automatic doors with vestibules for smooth movement, improved suspension and improved travel comfort by reducing noise, Automatic Train Protection System (APC), emergency talk-back system and disinfection technology to maintain high hygiene standards. Vaishnav said, “This disinfection technology will destroy 99.9 percent of germs. The same technology is also being used in the Vande Bharat chair-car version.