Lok Sabha Question No. 460 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-24
Subject: Route of Vande Bharat Express for Maharashtra
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Omprakash Bhupalsinh Alias Pavan Rajenimbalkar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 460 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.07.2024

## ROUTE OF VANDE BHARAT EXPRESS FOR MAHARASHTRA

†460 SHRI OMPRAKASH BHUPALSINH ALIAS PAVAN RAJENIMBALKAR:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  of  proposed  number  of  'Vande  Bharat  Express'  trains and routes thereof for Maharashtra;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to launch Vande Bharat Express trains to connect various places of Maharashtra with different States of the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the number of trains proposed to be launched by the Government in the current financial year, particularly to connect the tourist destinations of Maharashtra with rest of the States and the details of the coach factories set up in country and the total production capacity of Vande Bharat Express trains of the said coach factories; and
- (d)  the  measures  being  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  to  increase  the production capacity of these coach factories to meet the target?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (d)  A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 460 BY SHRI OMPRAKASH BHUPALSINH ALIAS PAVAN RAJENIMBALKAR TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 24.07.2024  REGARDING  ROUTE  OF  VANDE  BHARAT  EXPRESS  FOR MAHARASHTRA

(a)  to  (d)  As  on  19th  July,  2024,  102 Vande Bharat Express services are  operating  on  the  Indian  Railways  network.  Of  these,  16  Vande Bharat Services are  catering  to  the  needs  of  the  stations  located  in the State of Maharashtra. Besides, introduction of new train services, including  Vande  Bharat  Express  services,  is  an  ongoing  process  on Indian Railways subject to traffic justification, operational feasibility, resource availability, etc.

Indian Railways (IR)  have issued 'Bharat Gaurav Trains' policy in November-2021  with  the  objective  to  showcase  India's  rich  cultural heritage  and  magnificent  historical  places  through  Bharat  Gaurav Trains. These are theme based tourist circuits trains. Under the policy, Railways does not propose routes or circuits; instead, service providers  have  full  flexibility  to  decide  the  themes/itineraries  for operation  of  Bharat  Gaurav  tourist  circuit  trains  which  may  include tourist circuits of any part of India, including the State of Maharashtra based on market demand, commercial viability etc.

The  Vande  Bharat  Coaches  are  being  manufactured  at  Integral Coach  Factory  (ICF),  Chennai,  Tamil  Nadu  and  Rail  Coach  Factory (RCF), Kapurthala, Punjab and Modern Coach Factory (MCF), Raebareli, Uttar  Pradesh.  Further,  the  process  of  manufacture  of  Vande  Bharat Coaches by Technology Partner in Marathwada Coach Factory, Latur is underway.

IR  coach  factories  have  the  capability  to  manufacture  about 7500 coaches per annum including Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB), Vande Bharat,  Electric  Multiple  Unit  (EMU),  Mainline  Electric  Multiple  Unit (MEMU)  etc.  Yearly  coach  product-mix  is  decided  as  per  traffic requirement. Works amounting to ₹ 3595.31 crores have been sanctioned/proposed to augment the Production Capacity of LHB and Vande Bharat Coaches in Production Units.

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