Vande Bharat: Profit or loss? How many people have travelled so far; Railway with details

NEW DELHI: There is no doubt that the introduction of Vande Bharat Trains has transformed the landscape of Indian Railways. With its combination of speed and modern amenities, passengers across the country, including those in Kerala, have embraced the Vande Bharat trains enthusiastically. The inauguration of the maiden journey on most routes was a grand event, often attended by the Prime Minister himself. Even during election campaigns, Vande Bharat is touted as a significant achievement by MPs.

However, while the trains have been a resounding success in Kerala, the situation differs in many other states where even 30 percent of seats remain unfilled. Consequently, the Railways has refrained from confirming whether the Vande Bharat trains are profitable or running at a loss. The Ministry has cited a lack of specific revenue figures for Vande Bharat trains.

Chandrasekhar Gaur, a resident of Madhya Pradesh, sought information under the Right to Information Act regarding the profitability of Vande Bharat trains over the past two years. He inquired about the profits or losses incurred from the services. However, the Railways responded that they do not maintain a profit and loss account for individual trains.

Nonetheless, the Railways has provided statistics on the number of passengers and the distances covered by Vande Bharat trains. The service was inaugurated on February 15, 2019, on the New Delhi - Varanasi route and has since expanded to include 102 trains operating on 100 routes across the country. Vande Bharat services now span 284 districts in 24 states, with approximately two crore passengers having utilized the service since its inception.