PM Modi Flags Off India's Longest Ajni–Pune Vande Bharat Express
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Decorated with marigold and echoing with music, the red-and-white train under the canopy, ready for its maiden journey, drew cheers from flag-waving schoolchildren and excited citizens. It wasn't just a departure; it felt like the city's own celebration on steel rails.
Loud cheers rose each time the train's horn sounded. Families posed for selfies against the backdrop of the decorated coaches, and the scent of fresh marigold garlands mixed with the rhythmic beats of the ceremonial music.
Several schoolchildren, clutching tricolour flags and wearing wide-eyed smiles, prepared for what would be their very first journey aboard a Vande Bharat train.
Though the official flag-off took place at KSR Bengaluru railway station — where Prime Minister Modi also inaugurated Bengaluru–Belagavi and Katra–Amritsar Vande Bharat trains — Nagpur's ceremony was no less spirited. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union minister Nitin Gadkari, East Nagpur MLA Krishna Khopde, and BJP city president Dayashankar Tiwari boarded the train before departure, inspecting its interiors and praising its design, comfort, and speed.
Fadnavis hailed the new Vande Bharat as much needed step and thanked PM Modi and railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for launching it on his request.
The Ajni–Pune Vande Bharat covers 881km in 12 hours, making it the longest-running service of its kind in India and the fastest on the Nagpur–Pune route, with an average speed of 73 kmph and 10 stops. It is Maharashtra's 12th Vande Bharat and the first to serve Wardha–Manmad stretch, previously unconnected by such high-speed services.
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The train will run six days a week, departing Ajni at 9.50am (except Mondays) and reaching Pune at 9.50pm. In the reverse direction, it will leave Pune at 6.25am (except Tuesdays) and arrive at Ajni at 6.25pm. Halts include Wardha, Badnera, Akola, Shegaon, Bhusawal, Jalgaon, Manmad, Kopargaon, Ahmednagar, and Daund Chord Line.
The Vande Bharat Express was long awaited by citizens of both Nagpur and Pune, and its launch has finally turned that anticipation into reality.
With eight coaches — one executive chair car and seven chair cars — seating 530 passengers, the train boasts of modern amenities like full air-conditioning, ergonomic seating, panoramic windows, bio-vacuum toilets, ambient LED lighting, automatic sliding doors, and regenerative braking. Safety features include CCTV surveillance, fire detection and suppression systems, and emergency intercoms in every coach.
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