Gujarat’s first Amrit Bharat train flagged off, 10 Congress leaders planning to submit memorandum to railway minister detained

Barot, who is also the Surat Congress spokesperson, said, “We wanted to make a representation and give a memorandum to the railway minister, to put forward demands like extra stoppage at Utran railway station for express trains, more festive trains to North Eastern states, etc. The cops took us from our homes and kept us in the police station. They released us late in the afternoon. We were raising public issues.”

Meanwhile, the Surat to Brahmapur (Odisha) Amrit Bharat Express was flagged off virtually by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Vaishnaw and Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil were present at Udhna Railway Station for the event.

“The people of Odisha staying in Surat have demanded a direct flight between Surat and Bhubaneshwar, and for that we will make representations to the Union aviation ministry in the coming days,” said Paatil at the event. He also requested Vaishnaw to support him while making representations to the Union Aviation Ministry for a direct flight between Surat and Odisha.

In his brief speech at the event, Paatil requested Vaishnaw to start the Vande Bharat train from Gandhinagar to South Gujarat after 6 pm. Paatil said, “We hire the Vande Bharat Train from Surat to Gandhinagar in the morning, and after finishing our work or meeting in the evening, while returning, there is no train facility, except Okha Puri, and it is difficult to get a ticket in the long-distance train. If a Vande Bharat train service is started from Gandhinagar to South Gujarat, it would benefit a large number of passengers.”

The Amrit Bharat Express train will link multiple key districts across various states like Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. There would be 22 coaches with a carrying capacity of 1,800 passengers, and it would achieve a maximum speed of 130 kilometres per hour. For the safety of passengers, the train will also have key features like CCTV cameras in all coaches of the train, Passenger Information System (PAPIS) with LED Destination Board, talk bank system, emergency LED lights, smoke detection system in toilet rooms, electro-pneumatic (ep) assist brake system (This feature helps in applying brakes and Improves braking efficiency by reducing release time, resulting in operational safety increases).

The other facilities in terms of safety of passengers are anti-fire seat and berth, personal bottle holders, mobile charging with USB Type-A and C port points, a folding breakfast tray in the sleeper coach, full-height backrest, an LED corridor and radium flooring strips, a fire-resistant module toilet in non-AC LHB coaches, vacuum-assisted systems, a Korean platform, a perfume dispenser and ventilation.

The pantry has items like an oven, a braising pan, and an induction hot plate with modern appliances.

The Amrit Bharat Express train also features fully sealed gangways, providing passengers with enhanced comfort and protection from dust and noise.

Bhagirath Behra, President, Odisha Welfare Association (Surat Chapter), said, “There are over 6 lakh people from different districts in Odisha who are settled in Surat to earn bread and butter and are working in different industries, including textiles. They travel regularly from Surat to Odisha, but face numerous problems with connectivity. There is only one direct train from Surat to Puri, which runs only on Tuesday. The other four trains from other destinations have stoppages in Surat and Udhna, but it is difficult for us to obtain a ticket. If the Amrit Bharat train and the Surat-Puri express train ran daily, it would be more beneficial to the people. We have made representations to the railway minister.”

On the sidelines of the event, while interacting with media persons, Vaishnaw said, “Keeping in mind religious festivals like Diwali and Chhat Puja, this time we have come up with a record number of 12,000 festive special trains across the country for the public. Out of them, over 10,000 such trains have been notified. Over 150 trains will be kept unreserved, with the understanding that if there is a surge in demand, these trains will be mobilised. Last year, there was a record of 7,500 special trains for the festival, and this year, we have made a new record to run 12,000 festive trains.”

Giving more details, he said, “Amrit Bharat Express train is an affordable train which covers around 1,000 kilometres with a ticket fare of around Rs 450 per head. This train will benefit people from the lower middle class and the lower class. We have been operating 15 Amrit Bharat Express trains across the country, with three more added on a monthly basis. For overcrowding in the general coaches in different trains, we are also working ahead in increasing the number of general coaches in different trains…”

Speaking about the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project, the railway minister said, “Surat to Bilimora will be the first section where the bullet train will run and hopefully till 2027. Once the bullet train starts, the economy between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will boom… The train journey between Ahmedabad and Mumbai will be 2 hours and 7 minutes. Surat is between both these stations, and the train journey from Surat to Mumbai or Surat to Ahmedabad will be only one hour.”