According to officials, the two new Vande Bharat Express trains that Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off on Friday were the first in the history of the Indian Railways to climb the two difficult Ghats or mountainous stretches close to Mumbai without the aid of additional locomotives. The Vande Bharat trains that left for Sainagar Shirdi and Solapur successfully traversed the Thal Ghat and the Bhor Ghat, respectively, without the assistance of "bankers" or additional locomotives. Both the Ghats are among the toughest and steepest in the county, with a slope of 1:37 (for every 37 metres run, there is a metre climb). All other trains, whether they are freight or passenger trains, are hauled up by additional locomotives from the Mumbai side when they are travelling over these Ghats. However, during testing, the brand-new Vande Bharat Express trains built at the Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory successfully climbed and traversed the Ghats without bankers.

Key Points

• According to officials, the two new Vande Bharat Express trains that Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off on Friday were the first in the history of the Indian Railways to climb the two difficult Ghats or mountainous stretches close to Mumbai without the aid of additional locomotives.

• All other trains, whether they are freight or passenger trains, are hauled up by additional locomotives from the Mumbai side when they are travelling over these Ghats.

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