New Delhi: The Kasaragod to Trivandrum train is the best-performing Vande Bharat Express with an average occupancy of 183 per cent among the 23 pairs of such trains running across the Railway network, according to official data.

The Vande Bharat Express between Trivandrum and Kasaragod in Kerala, with an average occupancy of 176 per cent is the next best-performing train, followed by the Gandhinagar-Mumbai Central Vande Bharat Express with an average occupancy of 134 per cent.

On February 15, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the first Vande Bharat Express between New Delhi and Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh which was manufactured indigenously at the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai.

So far, 46 Vande Bharat Express services have reached all rail-electrified states of the country. Encompassing a total of 24 states and Union Territories, the Vande Bharat Express fleet has been ever-growing owing to its time-saving feature, which saves an average of an hour in comparison to other trains.

With a maximum permissible speed of up to 160 kmph, it provides faster acceleration. The Vande Bharat Express is the fastest passenger train on the routes it is running on.

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The trains with top occupancy include the Mumbai Central-Gandhinagar Vande Bharat Express (129 per cent), Varanasi-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express (128 per cent), New Delhi-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express (124 per cent), Dehradun-Amritsar Vande Bharat Express (105 per cent), Mumbai-Sholapur Vande Bharat Express (111 per cent), Sholapur-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express (104 per cent).

In the eastern region, the Howrah-Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express has an average occupancy of 108 per cent and on the return journey, it has recorded an occupancy of 103 per cent. The Patna-Ranchi Vande Bharat Express has an occupancy of 125 per cent, while on its return journey, it has an occupancy of 127 per cent.

Among the trains that need a leg up in occupancy is the Ajmer to Delhi Cantonment Vande Bharat Express (60 per cent) and the Delhi Cantonment to Ajmer train (83 per cent).

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So far the train has made 2,140 trips, and 25,20,370 net passengers have boarded the Vande Bharat Express from April 1, 2022, to June 21, 2023.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1, 2022, during her budget speech announced that 400 new-generation Vande Bharat trains with better energy efficiency and passenger riding experience will be developed and manufactured.

As of July 2022, a tender has been awarded for manufacturing 102 Vande Bharat trains and another tender has been floated for 200 Vande Bharat trains.

 

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Bengaluru: The Karnataka Cabinet has approved a formation of separate Dharwad city corporation. Alongside, a 15% hike in fares across the four state transport corporations was also approved. The revised fares will come into effect on January 5.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil, addressing the media at the Committee Hall of Vidhana Soudha, provided details about the decision. He explained that the last fare revision for BMTC was a decade ago when diesel cost Rs 60.98 per litre. Since then, operational costs have risen significantly.

Diesel expenditure for the four corporations has increased from Rs 9.16 crore to Rs 13.21 crore, and personnel costs have grown from Rs 12.85 crore to Rs 18.36 crore. The daily operational burden now stands at Rs 9.56 crore. The fare hike is expected to generate an additional Rs 74.85 crore in monthly revenue without burdening the state exchequer, as Rs 5,015 crore has already been allocated for the Shakti Yojana this fiscal year.

Minister Patil announced that the Cabinet has decided to bifurcate the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation into two independent municipal bodies.

The Cabinet approved the construction of a fishing port in Hejamady village, Udupi, with a revised estimate of Rs 209.13 crore. Additionally, Rs 84.57 crore has been sanctioned for the modernization and dredging of fishing ports.

In a move to strengthen cow shelters, Rs 10.50 crore has been allocated for projects in 14 districts. The Cabinet also approved constructing a building for Visvesvaraya Technical University in Chikkaballapur district at Rs 149.75 crore.

The Cabinet sanctioned a state-of-the-art bus stand in Bannimantap, Mysuru, at a cost of Rs 120 crore. Spread over 14 acres, the facility will include a divisional office, bus units, and commercial shops.

Approval was also granted to utilize Rs 137.85 crore, provided by the Union Finance Ministry under the Special Capital Assistance Scheme, for capital expenditure.

The Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board will use Rs 56.92 crore from its SCP/TSP scheme to supply bed sheets, mosquito nets, and clothing to government residential schools and hostels.

The Cabinet approved Rs 100 crore to construct new buildings for 200 veterinary institutions currently housed in rented or dilapidated structures, using NABARD assistance.

In Davangere, a site was allotted to the Karnataka Working Journalists' Association for constructing a civic facility. A plot in Avaragere village was also leased for 30 years at a concessional rate to Nayaka Vidyarthi Nilaya.

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