New Delhi: Sudhanshu Mani of Lucknow is considered the father of the Vande Bharat trains. Mani, a former general manager of the ICF (Integral Coach Factory), designed the Vande Bharat train. The country’s first Vande Bharat train launched in 2019. However, seven years later, Sudhanshu Mani traveled as a passenger on the country’s first semi-high-speed train. He shared his experience in a blog post while traveling on the Lucknow-Prayagraj Vande Bharat train from Lucknow’s Charbagh station.
Sudhanshu Mani wrote that the train’s interior design “looked very similar” to the prototype he helped create. He rated the Vande Bharat Express higher than most Indian trains. He praised the cleanliness inside the executive class, although he found the red carpet strip in the coach unnecessary. He described this as an attempt to conceal the actual flooring.
Disappointed by the empty seats in both classes?
Mani expressed concern about the empty seats in the premier train coaches. He wrote that less than 25 percent of the seats in the executive class coaches were occupied, while only about half of the seats in the chair car coaches were occupied. He said this was expected, as daytime train services struggle on routes with low demand. He reiterated the urgent need for sleeper versions of the Vande Bharat trains in the country. He believes that without sleeper trains, the project will not reach its full potential.
On traveling on the Vande Bharat train after a seven-year wait, he said he never deliberately planned this trip. He has to travel to cities like Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, and Kochi for work, which are not suitable for train travel from Lucknow. Therefore, the opportunity had not arisen until now. He further said that Vande Bharat sleeper trains could make traveling such long distances much easier. He also said that the project has become overhyped due to repeated launch delays.
Praise for the Seats, Interiors, and Toilets
Regarding the Vande Bharat Express’s seats, interiors, and toilets, he said that seating comfort has improved since the prototype days. The previous slide-forward mechanism has been replaced with a better back-recline system. He said that the toilets were clean and functional, although the fittings reflected “cost-cutting and multi-sourcing,” which he described as a persistent problem in the railway procurement process. He praised the train’s interiors.
Regarding the speed of Vande Bharat trains, Sudhanshu Mani said that the railways is not utilizing its full potential. He said that Vande Bharat trains are still operating below their maximum capacity. He said that these trains are still running at a speed of 130 kmph, while they were designed for 160 kmph.
