The Vande Bharat Express has been in the news since the Narendra Modi government launched India’s first indigenous semi-high-speed train in 2019. The success of the ambitious project of India Railways changed the perception about the country's railway in the minds of the people. The Vande Bharat Express became a symbol of India’s aspirations for modern, efficient, and comfortable rail travel. Meanwhile, it is interesting to compare India's Vande Bharat Express to Pakistan's premium train ‘Green Line Express’, a service that offers world-class facilities to passengers in the neighbouring country.
Features and prices of Pakistan's Green Line Train
Green Line Train, one of the fastest and luxury train services in Pakistan, is operating from Karachi Cantt to Islamabad Margalla which was flagged off in 2015. Pakistan Railways's Green Line is popular for its luxurious and state-of-the-art services. The luxury train covers the distance between Karachi and Islamabad in approximately 22 hours, crossing 9 to 10 railway stations. The Pakistani premium train features an AC Parlor Class that resembles the look of a luxury bus. Two parlor cars, five Business coaches, and six AC Standard coaches are the top features in the train. The maximum speed of the train is 105 km/h (65 mph) with average 72 km/h (45 mph). The passengers in Pakistan get a range of high-end amenities which include Wi-Fi, onboard entertainment, complimentary meals, utility kits, and refreshments to ensure a comfortable journey.
The ticket prices keep changing due to the unstable inflation graph.
Karachi Cantt to Islamabad Margalla Ticket price
- Economy class PKR 2,200
- Berth-economy PKR 2,300
- Business class PKR 6,650
Vande Bharat Express supersedes Pakistan's Green Line Train
Indian Railways, till September 2024, operates a total of 102 Vande Bharat train services (51 trains), connecting states having Broad Gauge (B.G.) electrified network. Vande Bharat's maximum speed is 60 kilometers per hour, while Pakistan's Green Line Train's maximum speed 105 km/h (65 mph).
Features of Vande Bharat Express
Features of 'Vande Bharat' Reclining ergonomic seats and comfortable seats with rotating seats in Executive Class CCTV in all coaches, mobile charging socket for every seat Automatic plug doors Pantry with provision for hot case, water cooler, deep freezer and hot water boiler.
Emergency openable windows and fire extinguishers in each coach Emergency alarm push button and talk back units on all coaches Driver-Guard communication with voice recording facility and crash hardened memory Coach Condition Monitoring System (CCMS) display with remote monitoring.
An AC chair car ticket of Vande Bharat Express costs Rs 1,565 while an Executive Class chair car costs Rs 2,825. However, the price is different depending on routes and travelling distance.
Speed
The first Vande Bharat Express train was flagged off on February 15, 2019, on the New Delhi-Kanpur-Allahabad-Varanasi route, running at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour.
Other features of 'Vande Bharat'
- Reclining ergonomic seats and comfortable seats with rotating seats in Executive Class
- CCTV in all coaches, mobile charging socket for every seat
- Automatic plug doors
- Pantry with provision for hot case, water cooler, deep freezer and hot water boiler.
- Emergency openable windows and fire extinguishers in each coach
- Emergency alarm push button and talk back units on all coaches
- Driver-Guard communication with voice recording facility and crash hardened memory
- Coach Condition Monitoring System (CCMS) display with remote monitoring
