Vande Bharat Express: new face of Indian railways

Madhumita Das, Shivam Sakshi and Sri Sai Ram S.M.

Vilakshan - XIMB Journal of Management, 2025, vol. 23, issue 1, 122-144

Abstract: PurposeAn efficient public transport system improves individual mobility and contributes greatly to national revenue. In a large country like India, the railways are essential for economic growth. As part of its modernisation plan, Indian Railways launched the Vande Bharat Express (VBE) in 2018, a semi-high-speed train designed to provide faster, safer and comfortable travel. This paper aims to examine VBE’s potential to boost religious tourism, stimulate regional economies and enhance overall socio-economic well-being.Design/methodology/approachAlthough descriptive, this study uses the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to perform a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis of VBE. Opinions were gathered from 50 frequent travellers through snowball sampling, and AHP was used to rank the SWOT factors based on their importance.FindingsThis study highlights VBE’s role in improving regional connectivity, trade and cultural exchange. Better access to religious sites has led to an increase in pilgrim and tourist travel, which supports tourism infrastructure and local economies. AHP results show that strengths are ranked the highest, with “convenience” as the top sub-criterion, followed by “safety” and “infrastructure limitations”, showing ongoing operational challenges. “Infrastructure development” is identified as the main opportunity, ranked fifth overall, indicating a need for future upgrades.Research limitations/implicationsChallenges such as limited ticket availability, high fares and infrastructure gaps continue to exist. Still, VBE has great potential to change religious tourism and guide strategic investment in India’s rail network. This study provides insights to help shape future transport policies and infrastructure planning.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first of its kind to present a novel perspective of applying AHP-based SWOT analysis to assess VBE’s role in tourism and economic development. The insights contribute to policymaking by offering a structured evaluation of high-speed rail’s potential in shaping sustainable regional growth and cultural exchange.

Keywords: Indian railways; Vande Bharat Express; Make in India; Religious tourism; Tourism circuit (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:xjmpps:xjm-03-2025-0025

DOI: 10.1108/XJM-03-2025-0025

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