12001/02 is given less priority than KURJ VB & Gatiman in NDLS-JHS section now. Now Vidisha stop being demanded. This train used to cover 710 kms in 8 hrs 20 mins earlier, but made slower by 20 mins in both direction. I was travelling in 2022 from MTJ to BPL, arrived MTJ 07.24(+5) & departed at 07.26(+6). But it reached JHS at 10.36(-9), freaking 9 mins early !!! Then the horrible slowdown game began. Departing JHS at 10.45(-5) after a 9 min stop, reached LAR at 11.51(+9), reached Bina at 12.47(+5) & finally reached Bhopal at 14.42(+30), horrible 30 mins late. Stayed in Bhopal Retiring room & saw 12002 return to NDLS departing at 16.00(+35) from Bhopal.

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The branding of trains in democratic setup like India is to differentiate and also highlight during the elections. This is the same for all the government's and railway ministers (some times) promoting their parties or image.

Indian railways could not able to merge all the similar category trains into a generic name.

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As we discussed earlier, the type of trains like Duronto, Humsafar, Gareeb Rath, SK, Rajdhani, Tejas Rajdhani, Vande Bharat Sleeper, etc are one category - "AC Superfast" trains.

(2) we can take all long distance trains like Mail, Express, Antyodaya, Vivek, etc as "Express" Trains with commuting average speed of less than 60 kmph.

(3) Trains in SuperFast category can continue as "Super Fast" trains with minimum 60 kmph average speeds

(4) Shatabdhi, Vande Bharat, Gatiman, Etc are in "AC Intercity" trains.

(5) Jan shatabdhi, Intercity, Vande Metro, Double Decker, etc in the " Intercity " Trains category.

(6) All passenger trains, MEMU, DEMUs, etc can be combined into one category "Janata Express".

(7) All local trains will continue as "Suburban" trains.

These categories will reduce the confusion and also streamline ticket prices across the current nomenclature and avoid confusion amongst ticketing staff in issuing the tickets.

Vande Bharat is a good step forward for Indian Railways, offering faster, more comfortable travel. They help modernize the rail system and meet the demand for quicker and more comfortable journeys. However, to make sure they succeed, it’s VERY important to choose routes where there’s high demand, so the trains don’t run half-empty or underperform. Like, come-on, is there a need to waste 2 rakes to cater few dozen passengers in VBs like LKO-MTC and TATA-BAM.

At the same time, there's no need to stop running older trains like Shatabdi and...
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Rajdhani. These trains have been reliable for years and still serve passengers well. VB trains shouldn't replace them but rather complement them, giving travelers more options based on their needs and stops (for example, a train like Bhopal Shatabdi stops at Mathura and serves Mathura based pax well but other two VBs and Gatiman dont stop here)

By running both VB and traditional services, Indian Railways can cater to different types of passengers and avoid unnecessary competition between the trains. It’s all about using the right train for the right route.