Vande Bharat Trains, the Big Class Divide And Other Concerns

The Vande Bharat services introduced over the past six years mark a clear shift in the class of train services provided by the Indian Railways. Vande Bharat, with its modern, aero-dynamic exterior, has been branded as India’s first indigenous ‘semi high-speed trains’ and generated widespread euphoria, owing to the fact that it is the first time that train-sets have been introduced for intercity travel in India. 

Sure, the Vande Bharat trains are a distinct class of trains that justify the exultation they generate as they are capable of running at speeds up to 160 kmph with higher acceleration and internal amenities matching the best in class. Yet, there is reason to believe that the Indian Railways is going overboard with the manner of deployment of its flagship innovation, that is indifferent to its saturated network and its non-premium traveller. 

Several challenges are likely to arise due to a rapid surge of these services.

Genesis of Vande Bharat

Across advanced railway systems, intercity train-sets with increasing speeds have been known to exist for over 90 years. The first aero-dynamic, diesel electric multiple unit (DEMU) intercity train-set, launched in 1933 by the German Deutsche Reich Bahn, ran between Hamburg and Berlin and was nicknamed the Flying Hamburger for its 160 kmph speed and design. 

Some 30 years later, the Shinkansen was operated between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka as the world’s first high-speed railway system with a maximum commercial speed of 200 Kmph. Nicknamed the ‘bullet train’, this train had a spitzer shaped nose-cone. Then, the state-owned SNCF in France launched the TGV (Train a’ Grande Vitesse) in 1981. The TGV which ran between Paris and Lyon and the German ICE or Intercity Express (1991) breached the 320 KMPH and 350 KMPH marks, respectively. Today, high speed rail systems exist across the globe, including in China, Indonesia and South Korea.

While high-speed rail systems have existed for close to 100 years elsewhere, train-sets in India have had a 100-year history too. The first ever electric multiple units (EMUs) were introduced in the Bombay suburban system in 1925. These EMUs were extended to Madras in 1931 and to Calcutta in 1957. The induction of train-sets into non-suburban systems happened steadily since the 1980s. 

Then, at the turn of the century, the Delhi Metro introduced Metro train-sets which became the path breaker for Metro systems in all Indian cities. All these train-sets were used for short distance operation and mostly for intra-city operations with maximum speeds ranging between 80 Kmph and 100 Kmph.

In a formal sense, the idea of Vande Bharat found its way into the policy programme of Indian Railways in 2009. The Vision-2020 document which was formulated in the year 2009 envisaged the use of train sets for intercity services. The document stated that “train-sets should be introduced for intercity express train services to achieve high speed and to minimise terminal detention.” 

In the meantime, LHB coaches with a speed potential of 160 kilometres per hour, were gradually inducted from the year 2003. With the knowhow on manufacturing LHB coaches being available and the decades long experience of manufacturing train-sets for short distance operation, the stage was set for manufacturing a high-speed, train-set for intercity operation. Owing to the commitment and creativity of the team of engineers from the integral coach factory (ICF), Train -18 happened – and it happened much before the envisioned timeline!

Induction of intercity train-sets as Vande Bharat

In the wake of the successful trials of Train-18 whose faster acceleration and capability of running at speeds beyond 160 kilometres per hour were proven, expectations ran high. To optimise these advantages, a unique scheduling method was adopted. For the first time, a daytime, intercity train service was planned between two cities located as far away as 760 km. The fastest path was charted between the origin and destination (OD) points to bare running time. The conflicts with existing trains were then resolved with least possible impact due to precedence given to the new train. Stoppages were restricted to the bare minimum to ensure that the new train had the fastest transit time between those OD points.

Charted in this manner, the first ever self-propelled intercity train-set with 16 fully air-conditioned cars was introduced, under the nomenclature of “Vande Bharat” on February 15, 2019, invoking a sense of national pride. 

This train covered the distance between Varanasi and New Delhi in eight hours at a commercial speed of 95 km per hour. It was faster than the next fastest train by three hours and ten minutes in one direction and three hours and thirty minutes in the other. Since then, 69 more pairs of Vande Bharat trains have been introduced at a rapid pace, after the interlude caused by COVID-19.

Brand ‘Vande Bharat’

Several operational advantages ensued with the introduction of Vande Bharat. Firstly, the train-sets could be returned from the destination within half-an-hour as no detachment and attachment of locomotives was involved. This resulted in faster turn-round at the terminal. 

The second major advantage is the faster acceleration, with the train-set picking up the speed from 0-100 kmph in 52 seconds. The newly designed driving cab provided an unfettered view of the signals and tracks to the loco-pilots. Among other advantages, with train-sets, the need for a separate maintenance schedule for locomotives has been obviated. 

With Vande Bharat services having the fastest transit on each OD pair, with their high percentage of right time arrivals, with the passengers experiencing best-in-class amenities and with an agreeable ride quality, they were clearly a cut above the rest of the services offered by the Railways. 

Given these merits, the Indian Railways has been successful in branding this product effectively and positioning it as a symbol of India’s aspirations for modern and efficient rail travel. Expectedly, there has been a clamour for the Vande Bharat rail journey experience among the travelling public, especially among non-resident Indians (NRIs) and foreign tourists. So, the Vande Bharat brand burnished the brand image of Indian Railways.

Some critical concerns

The Vande Bharat marks a major milestone in the evolution of passenger services on Indian Railways. Nevertheless, there are serious concerns about the impact these services are likely to have on the system, owing to the pace and manner in which these services have been rolled out. The concerns relate to the shutting out of the non-AC traveller; the meagre payload and occupancy of these trains; the introduction of the trains as 'new and additional' trains on a supersaturated network; and the sub-optimal utilisation of expensive rolling stock due to maintenance patterns. 

The following paragraphs detail these concerns and challenges.

1. Drastic fall in low-income passenger traffic

The first concern relates to the disproportionate emphasis on air-conditioned services at the cost of low-income working-class travellers. Historically, a constant feature of class-wise analysis of passenger traffic has been the preponderance of the second-class traveller. Even today, close to 90% of the non-suburban users travel by either the second class or the sleeper class. The ‘upper-class’ users, including those travelling by all air-conditioned classes, constitute a mere 10% of passengers.

Yet, over the years, the higher-priced air-conditioned travel has been accorded priority. This is evident in the growth of passenger coaches. In the last 10 years, the capacity to carry air-conditioned sleeper class passengers increased by 190%, while the second-class passenger carrying capacity increased by a meagre 15%. This slower growth in supply of sleeper-class seats is often taken as a proxy for reduction in demand for such travel.

The consistently lower priority given to the capacity of the second class and the sleeper class and a corresponding increase of the share of air conditioned coaches does not consider the fact that low-cost airlines have been providing an accessible alternative mode of travel to the higher income passenger on most of the sectors. Travellers who can afford only second-class travel do not have an alternative mode, especially for long-distance movement. 

This constraint on the mobility of the sleeper-class travellers is likely to have an adverse impact on livelihoods. It is deeply disconcerting to note that the Railways carried more than one billion passengers less in the non-AC class, non-suburban segment in the year 2023-24 as compared to 2013–14. 

The proliferation of fully air-conditioned Vande Bharat services, which exclude the non-AC traveller, will worsen this pattern. 

2. Payload and occupancy

The second major concern relates to payload and occupancy of Vande Bharat services. As many as 70 pairs of Vande Bharat services are operational today. Most of these services are operated with 16-car train-sets. The standard 16 car train-set composition has 1128 seats. 

The conventional train operated with LHB coaches, on the other hand, has seats and berths exceeding 1500 as per designed capacity. As compared to the standard Vande Bharat train-set, the conventional trains have a capacity which is higher by 35%, even without including the dense crush load in unreserved coaches. 

At present, reportedly, about 60% Vande Bharat rakes in operation, are being operated with just eight cars. As compared to the 8-car train-set, the conventional LHB train has an additional capacity of over 1,000 seats. Clearly, the Vande Bharat services have lower carrying capacity. When one factors in the actual occupancy of these services, the scenario gets even more curious. 

Sample data of availability of seats on some trains one day before the date of departure is given below. 

Chart: Availability on some Vande Bharat trains a day before scheduled departure

Source: https://www.irctc.co.in/nget/train-search

In this backdrop, it is necessary to recall that most of the conventional trains are running with maximum trailing load, with overcrowded unreserved coaches and with reserved classes booked to capacity.

3. New trains on congested routes

The third concern relates to operating these services with sub-optimal payloads, as new and additional drains on saturated sections of the Indian Railways. 

It is common knowledge that line capacity available to introduce new express train services is finite and constricted. All the Vande Bharat trains are new and additional services (not replacement of existing services) introduced on high density network (HDN) and highly utilised network (HUN) sectors which are saturated, as per the National Rail Plan, 2030.  

The plan notes that 80% of the HDN and 76% of the HUN are highly congested, requiring line capacity enhancements. For this reason, the Railways has a continuing programme to augment the capacity on these sectors in terms of the National Rail Plan. The HDN and HUN sectors operate a heterogeneity of services – different categories of express trains, stopping passenger trains, freight services, etc., – with substantial speed differentials caused by the type of rolling stock used and the number of commercial stoppages. 

The Vande Bharat has the predominant right of way on these sections and has to necessarily overtake trains with lesser speeds and more stoppages, leading to an adverse impact on the system. That efficient scheduling principles prescribe avoidance of overtakes for each overtake leads to inefficient use of line capacity is axiomatic. This point was highlighted by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its Report No. 22, 2021, too: 

“there are 14 different average speed groups of trains in NDLS - HWH route. The present practice of the faster train overtaking the slower one is consuming the line capacity. Each precedence results in a loss of about 15 minutes running time along with commensurate loss in sectional capacity.” 

If a train has to overtake another using up resources, the train with higher priority better be one running with full trailing load. Operation of Vande Bharat train-sets as new and additional services with woefully low trailing loads and sub-optimal occupancy on congested routes would affect freight traffic and put needless pressure on the system. 

Sub-optimal usage of resources is a failure that merits denunciation as it holds the potential to topple all of the Railway’s successes, if it is left without remedy.

4. Need for innovation in maintenance pattern

The last challenge relates to achieving the most advantageous utilisation of precious assets. The Vande Bharat train-set costs approximately Rs 120 crores, which is more than twice the cost of a conventional LHB train, including the locomotive. Yet, the Vande Bharat train sets are being operated only on six days a week. 

Operated as daytime, intercity express trains, these are being taken to the maintenance line for inspection every night. In addition, there is the weekly mandatory daylight maintenance schedule. Rolling stock engineers of the Railways may have to extend their innovation to the maintenance realm too, tapping the availability of modern, high-intensity lighting systems to enable the commercial usage of the train-set on all seven days of the week.

Moving Ahead

Vande Bharat is a vision come true. While getting the best out of a product of pride, the Railways needs to be watchful. As the number of services increase and the challenge of sustaining quality surfaces, it should formulate modules for monitoring the service quality of Vande Bharat – on all aspects including cleanliness, catering and adherence to time-tables. 

Feedback should be sought from the travellers after each trip for ensuring remedial action and enhancing service quality. What is most important is that the Indian Railways should step back and look at the shift in priorities that has crept in. The Railways is grappling with the challenge of hastening the creation of additional line capacity which is the most intractable of its constraints. Till this challenge is met substantially, most of the new Vande Bharat train-sets should be used to replace existing services, and not as new services. All the existing train sets should be augmented to 20 car sets and deployed only on sectors with assured demand. 

Above all, the Indian Railways should have a definite plan to include the non-AC travellers who have historically constituted more than 90% of the non-suburban segment. This segment has to be at the centre of an integrated and forward-looking strategy for passenger services. 

It would pay to remember that India’s population is now estimated at 146.39 crores and that the Vande Bharat services, at present, are beyond the reach of 90% of Indians.

A. Madhukumar Reddy, is a former civil servant. He worked with the Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) and retired as Principal Executive Director, Railway Board, in charge of passenger operations of Indian Railways.

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