Guwahati (Assam) [India], May 29 (ANI): Ahead of the inauguration of the first Vande Bharat Express of the Northeast by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday visited Guwahati Railway Station and took stock of the preparations.

Speaking to ANI, Vaishnaw said, "Our motive is to develop Northeast Railway and make Guwahati station world-class."He further added, "Under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are working and there is a lot to do for the Northeast.""In the Northeast, we have to make 59 railway stations world-class. Total 70,000 crore project we have to do in the Northeast. There are many projects and allocations. There is an allocation of 11,000 crores for Northeast," he said.

Earlier he also inaugurated Battery Operated Cart Service.

As a part of the move by Indian Railways to avail joy of travelling for the people of the Northeast, PM Modi on Monday will flag off the first Vande Bharat Express for Assam through video conferencing.

The Prime Minister will also dedicate New Bongaigaon--Dudhnoi--Mendipather and Guwahati--Chaparmukh newly electrified sections to the nation. He will further inaugurate the new DEMU/MEMU (workshop for trains) shed at Lumding here.

It is the first of its kind premium semi-high speed aesthetically designed, well-equipped fully Air Conditioner service between Guwahati in Assam and New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal."The frequency of the train will be five days a week. There will be no service of this train on Tuesday," the official said.

This new service will cover the distance of 411 km between Guwahati and New Jalpaiguri in 5 hours 30 minutes reducing the present shortest journey time by the speediest train significantly.

The Vande Bharat Express train service will operate six days a week discovering the new age rail travel with airlines like travel feelings for people of the northeast who will able to feel the comfort and speed during the journey.

This will be the fastest train in this sector and will benefit IT professionals, businessmen, students and tourists.

Vande Bharat Express is the fulfilment of an ambitious plan laid by Indian Railways to pitchfork the standards and speed of rail travel in the country.

The 'Make In India' call of Prime Minister Modi has driven this initiative with the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) coming up with this modern Semi-High Speed fully indigenous train showcasing superior aerodynamic design, highest operational speed, most aesthetic interiors, state-of-the-art safety features imbibing the latest rail technology. The approximate cost of each train set is around Rs 110 crore.

Vande Bharat Express runs as a self-propelled Semi-High Speed train set. The train set holds an aerodynamic design on both ends, which significantly reduces air drag and gives the train a futuristic look. The train set is equipped with the Centralized Coach Monitoring and Control System. It has eight coach Chair Car configurations, stainless steel car body with a seating capacity of 530 passengers with maximum utilization of onboard space.

The Executive chair cars of Vande Bharat Express have a seating capacity of 52 each, normal Chair cars have a seating capacity of 78 each and the driving trailer coaches have a seating capacity of 44 each.

Equipped with driver-guard communication with a voice recording facility, the bogies of Vande Bharat Express are equipped with fully suspended traction motors for 160 kmph operational speed.

The train is equipped with 'KAVACH, the indigenously developed Train Collision Avoidance System with optimum reliability. Advanced state-of-the-art suspension system ensures smoothness on move in the train.

Green footprint plans have been prioritized by dispensing with power cars and saving about 30 per cent of electricity with an advanced regenerative braking system.

The braking system is electro-pneumatic with disc brakes mounted directly on wheel disks, significantly reducing braking distance. Signal exchange lights on the coaches enable the hassle-free exchange of signals with wayside stations when the train is on the move.

Superior floodproofing for under-slung electrical equipment is done to enable withstand floods up to a height of 650 mm.

This energy-efficient train has a faster turnaround time in comparison to others. (ANI)