Delhi: Vande Bharat Express begins first commercial run, Tickets sold out for next 2 weeks

New Delhi, Feb 17: The Vande Bharat Express - India's first semi-high speed train - began its first commercial run on Sunday, a day after it broke down on its way to Delhi from Varanasi. The development comes two days after it was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Taking to Twitter, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal shared a video of the Vande Bharat Express leaving New Delhi Railway Station. He informed that the tickets of the train have been sold out for the next two weeks.

"Vande Bharat Express left Delhi for Varanasi today morning on its first commercial run. Tickets sold out for the next two weeks already. Get yours today!" tweeted Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.

From Delhi to Varanasi, an air-conditioned chair car ticket will cost Rs 1,760 and the executive class fare will be Rs 3,310, while on the return, a chair car ticket will cost Rs 1,700 and that of a seat in the executive class Rs 3,260. Both fares are inclusive of catering charges. Meals onboard will be served from popular restaurant chain Pind Balluchi as well as from The Landmark Hotel.

The chair car fares are 1.4 times the base price of Shatabdi trains running the same distance and that of the executive class 1.3 times of a first class air-conditioned ticket in the premium train.

Earlier, Congress President Rahul Gandhi had tweeted, "Modi Ji, I think Make in India needs a serious rethink. Most people feel it has failed. I assure you we in the Congress are thinking very deeply about how it will be done."

In a quick response, Goyal tweeted - "Such a shame that you choose to attack the hard work and ingenuity of Indian engineers, technicians and labourers. It is THIS mindset which needs a reset. 'Make In India' is a success and a part of crores of Indian lives. Your family had 6 decades to think, wasn't that enough?