Hyderabad to get two more Vande Bharat trains

HYDERABAD: The Railway Board has sanctioned two more Vande Bharat Express trains for Telangana. One will run between Nampally and Pune, and another from Charlapalli to Nanded. Both services are expected to begin soon.

At present, five Vande Bharat trains operate through Hyderabad. With these additions, the number will rise to seven. Currently, Hyderabad has Vande Bharat services to Visakhapatnam (two), Tirupati, Bengaluru and Nagpur.

Why Nanded is a surprise choice

Until now, Vande Bharat trains from Hyderabad have been allotted only to destinations more than 600 km away. Nanded, just 281 km from the city, has now received unexpected approval.

Although located in Maharashtra, Nanded has strong business and commuter ties with Hyderabad. Large numbers travel daily between Nizamabad and Hyderabad, and several premium bus services already connect the two towns. The Railway Board considered this demand, as well as pilgrim traffic to Basar en route, before sanctioning the new service.

The Charlapalli–Nanded Vande Bharat is expected to cover the distance in under four hours. Officials indicated it could be extended to two trips daily, but will initially run one round trip.

Hyderabad–Pune route to get faster travel option

Passenger traffic between Hyderabad and Pune is also high. At present, 17 trains connect the two cities, including Shatabdi Express and Duronto Express. Travel time ranges from 8.30 hours (Shatabdi) to 13 hours on regular trains.

The new Vande Bharat Express, starting from Nampally, will complete the 592 km journey in about 8 hours, making it the fastest option on the route.