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As many as 136 Vande Bharat train services having chair cars are operational on the Indian Railways network as of January 2025, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Rajya Sabha in a written reply. The Minister also said that overall occupancy in these trains is almost 100 per cent.
In the written reply dated February 7, the Union Minister said passenger-carrying train services, including Vande Bharat services, are operated as per the charted timetable and General Order of Precedence of Trains, without infringing other services. During the financial year 2024-25 (upto December 2024) approximately 2.14 crore passengers availed Vande Bharat trains and the overall occupancy of Vande Bharat trains during the said period is approximately 100 per cent. The Vande Bharat services have been introduced to provide a better travel experience and improved safety to the passengers. These special trains are equipped with enhanced safety features and modern passenger amenities like- KAVACH system, Faster acceleration, Fully Sealed Gangway, Automatic Plug Doors, Better Ride Comfort, Mini Pantry with provision of Hot Case, Bottle Cooler, Deep freezer and Hot water Boiler, Reclining Ergonomic Seats, Comfortable Seating with revolving seats in executive class, Mobile charging sockets for every seat, special lavatory for Divyangjan passengers in Driving Trailer Car(DTC), CCTVs etc. The Air-conditioning units used in Vande Bharat trains are provided with UV-C based disinfection system, which deactivates harmful bacteria from conditioned air, to improve the hygiene standards inside the train. In the quest to Vikasit Bharat 2047, Indian Railways continued its transformative journey in the year 2024, paving the way for a new era of modernization and progress. With a strong focus on meeting world class travel experience, boosting freight efficiency, and adopting advanced technologies, the Railways has solidified its role as a catalyst for national growth. Modern stations, state-of-the-art trains, and innovative safety systems are reshaping the landscape of rail travel. Committed to sustainability, the Railways is steadily moving towards greener operations while driving economic development through extensive infrastructure upgrades and capacity building. (ANI)
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