These trains are aimed at enhancing short-distance inter-city rail connectivity between major cities within a 100–250 km range.

The Railway Board has allotted the first Vande Metro prototype to Central Railway, with trials scheduled to begin shortly after the rake’s arrival.

An official reported that production of the first prototype is nearly complete, with internal trials already underway.

While the authorities haven’t taken a final decision on the route for such trains, the Mumbai-Pune route is a strong contender, depending on the outcome of the trial runs.

The Vande Metro is designed to meet the growing demand for short-distance rail travel, particularly on busy routes around metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai. It is also expected to operate on routes where suburban services are currently offered, such as Lucknow-Kanpur, Pune, and Hyderabad, an official stated.

As the Indian Railways prepares to revolutionize short-distance travel with the Vande Metro, commuters can expect a quicker and more efficient alternative to current suburban services also in future, further added official.

Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Railways, recently announced that two of these trains successfully passed all necessary tests. Earlier, on September 2, he had confirmed to reporters that the first Vande Metro train would be launched soon. “The first Vande Metro train will be launched next month. We anticipate full-scale production to begin within the next year-and-a-half, with multiple trains being delivered monthly after that,” Vaishnaw revealed.It is important to note that the Vande Metro initiative was initially announced by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in February 2023, and two prototype rakes are currently under production.