By India Today News Desk: After rolling out semi-high-speed Vande Bharat Express trains on various routes across the country, the Railway Ministry is now working to introduce a new short-distance train service called ‘Vande Metro’. This is expected to be ready by around December this year.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Vande Metro will operate between cities having a distance of under 100 kilometres and be affordable for the people. He also said it would be different from the Vande Bharat trains.
ALSO READ | PM Modi flags off Rajasthan’s first Vande Bharat; train to cover Delhi to Ajmer in 5.15 hours
“Vande Metro will be a different format compared to Vande Bharat. It is being built in a format that trains with very high frequency, like around four-five times a day. It can ply between cities with a distance of less than 100 kilometres and they are comfortable and affordable. It will be ready around December,” Vaishnaw told ANI.
In February, the minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked the Railway Ministry to develop Vande Metro.
“The Prime Minister has given the target this year. After the success of Vande Bharat train, (he asked us to) develop a new world-class regional train, which will be Vande Metro,” Vaishnaw said.
ALSO READ | PM Modi flags off Secunderabad-Tirupati Vande Bharat Express train in Hyderabad
According to the minister, Vande Metro trains are known as ‘Regional Trans’ in Europe.
