Nagpur: The gala launch of the Nagpur-Secunderabad Vande Bharat services by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently, has failed to garner much enthusiasm among the passengers as the demand for tickets remains muted. With the occupancy ratio at 120 percent, almost 85 percent of seats remain vacant.
The Nagpur-Secunderabad Vande Bharat departs at 5 am and reaches Secunderabad station at 12.15 pm. It leaves Secunderabad at 1 pm and reaches Nagpur at 8.20 pm. The train comprises 20 AC coaches including 18 chair cars and 2 executive chair cars. A total of 1,440 seats are available for passengers.
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Thursday 03 Oct. 2024
The situation of the Nagpur-Secunderabad-Nagpur Vande Bharat Express is concerning. According to railway officials, only 20% of the passengers have travelled on this route. On September 22 (Sunday), train number 20102 departed from Secunderabad to Nagpur, with over 1,200 seats remaining vacant. The train has a total seating capacity of 1,440 seats. Additionally, in the Executive Class, which has 88 seats, fewer than 10 passengers had booked tickets.
According to media reports, due to the low passenger count, officials may consider discontinuing the Nagpur-Secunderabad-Nagpur Vande Bharat Express. This train was launched on September 16. Railway officials have stated that if the passenger numbers remain low, the number of coaches may be reduced. Currently, the train is running with 20 coaches, but it may be reduced to 8 coaches, significantly decreasing the number of available seats.
The goal of this train was to connect the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra with Ramagundam, Kazipet, and Secunderabad, allowing local residents to benefit from travel related to business, family, or tourism.
Compared to cities like Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, and Bangalore, Nagpur has fewer commuters from Hyderabad. Many trains from Secunderabad to Delhi pass through Nagpur. The journey time from Secunderabad to Nagpur is 7.40 hours by Rajdhani Express and 7.15 hours by Vande Bharat, which runs for six days except Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Indian Railways is planning to introduce a sleeper version of the Vande Bharat Express in the coming days, with preparations in full swing. The Vande Bharat trains have been receiving a positive response from the public, and passengers are eager to travel on these new trains. It remains to be seen how passengers will respond to the Vande Bharat sleeper version.
