Ahead of launch, one new Vande Bharat train to reach Mumbai by Feb 3

Of the two soon-to-be launched Vande Bharat Express trains from Mumbai, one is likely to reach the metropolis by Friday morning, while another is expected to be brought on February 6, railway officials said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to launch Vande Bharat Express trains on Mumbai-Solapur and Mumbai-Shirdi routes on February 10, they said.

Both the trains have been manufactured at the Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory. These trains will be fitted with parking brakes, following which they will undergo trials in the hilly ghat section on the outskirts of Mumbai to check whether they need deployment of additional locomotives to cross this terrain.

A Vande Bharat train reached Pune yard this morning and is expected to reach Mumbai tonight or early tomorrow. The train will undergo trials in the ghat section once it is fitted with parking brakes, a senior railway official said. The second such train is expected to be brought on February 6.

The Vande Bharat Express between Mumbai and Solapur is likely to run via the Bhor ghat (located between Karjat and Khandala on way to Pune) and is expected to cover a distance of around 455 km between the two places in 6.35 hours. On the other hand, the Mumbai-Shirdi semi high-speed train is expected to run via the Thal ghat (in Kasara on Mumbai's outskirts) and cover a distance of around 340 between them in 5.25 hours, they said.

About 25 km-long Bhor ghat (also called Khandala ghat) is spread between Karjat and Khandala stations, while the 14 km-long Thal ghat (also known as Kasara ghat) is spread between Kasara and Igatpuri sections. Both the high gradient ghats have difficult terrain with multiple tunnels and high via-ducts.

So far, eight Vande Bharat Express trains have been launched on various inter-state routes, including the one between Mumbai and Gandhinagar.