Indian Railways is kicking off trials for the third Vande Bharat Express train, which is likely to run on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route.

To this end, the third rake of the Vande Bharat train reached Chandigarh on Thursday for oscillation trial.

“Getting ready to roll -- third Vande Bharat Train reaches stabling line in Chandigarh for speed trial,” Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw tweeted and led to much excitement on social media.

According to sources, the train will be tested on the Chandigarh - Ambala route and will then be put through a speed trial on the Kota- Ratlam route later this month.

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The turbaned worker identifies this bridge as Indian, otherwise the photo could have been made anywhere in the world. Nearly $2000 million have been allocated by India to railway development under the second five-year plan. In handling some aspects of its labour force problems, India has asked for and is receiving technical assistance from the International Labour Organisation. Photo taken in 1965.

Indian Railways at a cusp

Sources indicated the third Vande Bharat train will be inaugurated around Navratri.

Test run

However, an official source said the exact route for the train will be decided later by the Railway Board once all test runs and requisite approvals are in place.

Vaishnaw, who had recently visited the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, had said the third rake of the Vande Bharat Express train will be tested for about 15,000 km.

Vande Bharat Express is the country’s first indigenous semi high speed train. Also called Train 18, the trains have 16 advanced air conditioned coaches and can go to speeds upto 160 km hour and have been tested at even 180 km per hour.

The first Vande Bharat Express train was flagged off on February 15, 2019 on the New Delhi Kanpur-Allahabad-Varanasi route. The second train runs on the Delhi-Katra route.

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