Kolkata: After West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee dismissed Vande Bharat by saying "just an old train refurbished with a new engine", the train has come under criticism from another of Didi's ministers, Udayan Guha. The Vande Bharat Express between Howrah and New Jalpaiguri railway stations in West Bengal was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 30 and commercial service on the route started on January 1.
Now West Bengal Minister Udayan Guha was quoted by ANI as saying, "Normal train has been renamed as Vande Bharat Train and fare of a high-speed train is being charged. If it's a high-speed train, then why it's taking 8 hours from Howrah to New Jalpaiguri? Don't use people's money for painting a normal train as Vande Bharat." Earlier CM Mamata, a former Railway minister herself, said, "Vande Bharat is nothing special. It is just an old train refurbished with a new engine."
Normal train has been renamed as Vande Bharat Train&fare of a high-speed train is being charged. If it's a high-speed train then why it's taking 8 hours from Howrah to New Jalpaiguri. Don't use people's money for painting a normal train as Vande Bharat: WB Min Udayan Guha (06.01) pic.twitter.com/btXFnxcddC
— ANI (@ANI) January 7, 2023
The semi-high-speed electric train, running between Howrah and New Jalpaiguri, both in West Bengal, passes through Bihar with a brief halt at Barsoi in Katihar district, adjoining Kishanganj.
A political slugfest between the BJP and Trinamool Congress began after stone-pelting incidents were reported. While BJP slammed Mamata's TMC, the Bengal chief minister claimed that the Vande Bharat Express was pelted with stones in neighbouring Bihar, and not in her state. She also said legal action will be taken against those media outlets that spread "fake news" that the incident took place in West Bengal, bringing a bad name to the state. Eastern Railways CPRO told PTI that after scanning video footage, it was found that Monday's stone-pelting incident on Vande Bharat Express took place in Malda district and Tuesday's happened in Kishanganj district of Bihar, and efforts are underway to nab the perpetrators.
The Vande Bharat Express between Howrah and New Jalpaiguri railway stations is the seventh Vande Bharat Express train to run in India and the semi-high-speed train will connect Howrah and New Jalpaiguri, the gateway to the northeast. The train covers a distance of 564 km in 7.45 hours and officials have said it will save three hours of travel time compared to other trains on the route.
Vande Bharat is the fastest train in India with a top speed of 180 kmph and lots of modern amenities, including Kavach safety system.
Vande Bharat Express: The seven routes
Here's a look at all the operational Vande Bharat Express routes in India:
Route 1: New Delhi - Varanasi Vande Bharat Express
Route 2: New Delhi - Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (J&K) Vande Bharat Express
Route 3: Gandhinagar and Mumbai Vande Bharat Express
Route 4: New Delhi to Amb Andaura in Himachal Pradesh Vande Bharat Express
Route 5: Chennai-Mysuru Vande Bharat Express
Route 6: Nagpur-Bilaspur Vande Bharat Express
Route 7: Howrah - New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express
