Vande Bharat Express: A possible alternative to short distance flight like France? Abhijeet Sinha

Vande Bharat Express, the semi high-speed electric train, is ready to reshape the transport sector. As it should be considered a better substitute for short distance flights. VBE, when compared to an average flight charge, is a lot cheaper and doesn’t even involve any hassle of coming hours early before the departure. And these are just a few perks of travelling through VBE. Although, cleanliness was not the first thing which came to mind while thinking Indian railways, over the last few years this has changed for the better too. From clean stations to bio toilets, #swachhbharatmission has clearly had a tremendous success. It can be said that VBEs will be giving a fair challenge to the flights of common routes, especially for short distance travel.           If we speak on a global level, France has already banned short distance domestic flight after thorough examination. In France, flight which were adding less than 2.5 hours for their travel time were found unnecessary, that too when the cities are linked through cheaper and more carbon friendly trains. Planes being the gigantic machines are a significant contributor of ozone depletion. The country is not stopping only at commercial planes, but has eyes on discontinuing the use of private jets too. All this to make the environment greener and reducing the carbon footprint. France has taken a commendable initiative for a better and cleaner future; soon other countries are also expected to follow France’s footsteps. While the ban is yet to come to play, it is said to come into force as soon as possible.