Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated the Nagpur-Pune Vande Bharat Express and two other trains by flagging them off through video conferencing.
Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari and Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis attended the programme at the Central Railway Station in Nagpur.
Speaking to the media after the programme, the Chief Minister said that the number of travelers from Vidarbha to Pune is high, but at present passengers have to buy expensive tickets and travel by private vehicles.
Moreover, such travel takes more time. Considering these factors, the State Government requested the Railway Minister to start a Nagpur-Pune train service, to which he responded positively, resulting in the launch of this service. The Nagpur-Pune Vande Bharat Express covers the longest distance among all Vande Bharat Express trains in the country.
The Nagpur (Ajni)-Pune Vande Bharat Express will make it possible to cover the distance from Nagpur to Pune in about 12 hours. On its journey from Nagpur to Pune, the train will halt at Wardha, Badnera, Akola, Bhusawal, Jalgaon, Manmad, Kopargaon, Ahilyanagar, and Daund stations, before reaching Pune via the Daund chord line.