![Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off the country's first semi high speed train, Vande Bharat Express, at New Delhi railway station in India, on Feb. 15, 2019. [Photo: Xinhua/Partha Sarkar]](http://img2.zhytuku.meldingcloud.com/images/zhycms_chinaplus/20190216/a8670037-68f2-470a-b89c-5f935356fc66.jpg?x-oss-process=image/resize,w_650)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday flagged off the country’s first semi high speed train – Vande Bharat Express.
The train, previously named Train 18, was flagged off from the New Delhi railway station.
“The train can run up to a maximum speed of 160 kmph and will provide a totally new travel experience to passengers,” a spokesman said.
Indian railway minister Piyush Goyal and members of railway board were on board the train on its inaugural journey.
The train will travel from Delhi to Varanasi in 9 hours and 45 minutes, officials said.
The Indian government in 2015 announced an investment of over 137 billion U.S. dollars over a period of five years to boost railways and modernize it on new lines.
India’s sprawling railways ferry around 23 million people each day.
