Pune to Welcome Four New Vande Bharat Trains, Enhancing Regional Connectivity
Pune today marks a significant boost in railway connectivity with Indian Railways announcing the addition of four new Vande Bharat Express trains. These modern services are set to enhance travel to key destinations across western and southern India. The new routes will connect Pune to Shegaon, Vadodara, Secunderabad, and Belagavi. These additions aim to substantially reduce travel times while providing passengers a more comfortable and efficient journey. This expansion increases Pune's total Vande Bharat count to six trains.
The city currently operates two Vande Bharat Express services on the Pune-Kolhapur and Pune-Hubballi routes. The eagerly anticipated new services will feature upgraded amenities including improved seating, enhanced lighting, and various additional features typical of the Vande Bharat fleet. While the full schedule is yet to be released, expected stops for the Pune-Shegaon route include Daund, Ahmednagar, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Jalna. For the Pune-Vadodara route, likely halts are at Lonavala, Panvel, Vapi, and Surat. This specific journey is expected to reduce travel time from approximately nine hours to around six to seven hours, significantly benefiting commuters and travelers.
The Pune-Secunderabad route may include stops at Daund, Solapur, and Gulbarga, potentially saving passengers up to three hours of travel time. Meanwhile, the Pune-Belagavi service is proposed to halt at Satara, Sangli, and Miraj. Fares for these new Vande Bharat services are anticipated to range between one thousand five hundred and two thousand rupees. Beyond these immediate launches, Indian Railways is also planning a Pune-Nagpur Vande Bharat sleeper service aiming to boost overnight connectivity across Maharashtra, supporting tourism, business, and regional development in connected areas like Shegaon, a key pilgrimage site.
This expansion of Vande Bharat services from Pune promises to revolutionize rail travel, offering faster, more comfortable, and convenient options. The new routes are poised to significantly reduce travel times, foster regional development, and enhance overall connectivity. This marks a strategic move by Indian Railways to modernize and expand the nation's high-speed rail network.
