PM Narendra Modi will flag off Varanasi – Vadodara Mahamana Express

Vadodara: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off Mahamana Express, to be run between Vadodara and Varanasi, on September 22.

Modi will flag off the train, which will run from Vadodara on its maiden journey, with a remote control in Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency.

The new weekly train will run from Varanasi every Friday and from Vadodara every Wednesday.

Modi may also flag off another train, a new Antyodaya Express, an upgraded all-general-class train meant for migrant labourers between Surat and Jaynagar, officials said.

About Mahamana Express

The Modi government had unveiled the first rake of Mahamana Express as part of the Railways’ Model Rake Project in 2016.

Mahamana Express’ is named after former Hindu Mahasabha president Madan Mohan Malviya, also addressed as ‘Mahamana’.

The Mahamana Express comes with plush interiors. The coaches for the train had been designed by Vadodara-based firm Hindustan Fibre Glass. The model rakes that have been developed are a “refurbished and re-adapted” version of seven types of coaches which have been in use by Indian Railways for the past 10-12 years.

Like the other two sister-trains, Varanasi-Vadodara Mahamana Express is a weekly train that will run from Varanasi every Friday at 6.15am and from Vadodara every Wednesday.

Mahamana Express will cover 1,531-km journey between the two cities in 27 hours 30 minutes at an average speed of 55.7 km/hr. It has stops at Bharuch and Surat in Gujarat; Amalner and Bhusawal in Maharashtra; Itarsi, Jabalpur, Katni and Satna in Madhya Pradesh; and Chheoki in Uttar Pradesh.

Varanasi-Vadodara Mahamana Express: 7 facts about this Made in India train

Some other special features of the Mahamana Express include modular panels, ergonomically designed ladders for climbing to the upper berths, aesthetically appealing toilet modules with big mirror, platform washbasin, controlled discharged water tap, odour control system, exhaust fan, LED lights and dustbin inside the toilets. The train has LED lighting across the coaches, special berth indicators-cum-night-light in reserved coaches to assist passengers boarding train at night.

This train will have 18 coaches – one AC 1st class, two 2nd class AC, eight sleeper, four general, one pantry car and two guard brake vans. There is no AC-3 tier coach in the train.

Necessary facilities like fire extinguisher in all coaches, electrically operated chimney in pantry car and stainless steel panelling in luggage compartment have also been provided in the train.