New Delhi - Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a virtual ceremony, initiated Gujarat's inaugural intra-state Vande Bharat train service, establishing a vital connection between Ahmedabad, the state's commercial epicenter, and Rajkot and Jamnagar, the two largest cities in the Saurashtra region.

The Ahmedabad-Jamnagar Vande Bharat train will commence its journey from Ahmedabad daily, excluding Tuesdays, departing at 5:55 pm. It will arrive in Rajkot at 9:12 pm and reach Jamnagar at 10:35 pm. From Jamnagar, the train will depart daily, except on Wednesdays, at 5:30 am, arrive in Rajkot at 6:25 am, and finally reach Ahmedabad at 10:10 am.

During the inaugural run, Prime Minister Modi virtually flagged off the train. In Jamnagar, BJP MP Poonam Madam gave the green signal to the train, while in Rajkot, Gujarat's Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel, Tourism Minister Mulu Bera, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Bhanuben Babariya, along with MPs Mohan Kundariya and Ram Mokariya, and Rajkot Mayor Nayna Pedhadiya welcomed the train by showering it with flowers.

Comparatively, the Jamnagar-Vadodara intercity train departs from Jamnagar at 4:45 am, arrives in Rajkot at 6 am, and reaches Ahmedabad at 10:30 am. Vande Bharat completes the 332-km journey from Jamnagar to Ahmedabad in just 4 hours and 40 minutes, while the Intercity train takes approximately 5 hours and 45 minutes.

For a one-way trip from Rajkot to Ahmedabad with refreshment included, the fare for chair car class is Rs 810, and for executive class, it is Rs 1,370. The fare from Jamnagar to Rajkot is Rs 440 for chair car class and Rs 835 for executive class, while the journey from Jamnagar to Ahmedabad costs Rs 955 for chair car class and Rs 1,790 for executive class. The train consists of eight coaches in total, including seven chair car class coaches and one executive class coach with 52 seats. C1 and C7 coaches accommodate 44 passengers each, while the remaining five coaches can seat 78 passengers each, giving the train a total capacity of 530 passengers.

Praising the onboard facilities, passenger Mulu Bera noted that they resembled those found on trains in foreign countries. He mentioned that this was his first time traveling on a Vande Bharat train and that the facilities exceeded his expectations.

For a one-way journey in the Second AC class on the Vadodara-Jamnagar Intercity train without catering services from Rajkot to Ahmedabad, the fare is Rs 435.