To make travel across the Indian railway network more comfortable, Indian Railways introduced Vande Bharat Express trains in 2019. Running across India, these trains offer premium experiences with modern amenities, reduce travel time, and enhance passenger comfort. These trains are making journeys smoother, more efficient, and quicker. With the growing demand, the Indian Railways has launched new Vande Bharat Express trains on different routes, connecting major cities. Let’s take a look at the newly-launched Vande Bharat Express.
Newly-Launched Vande Bharat Express Trains
In the last few months, Indian Railways has launched several Vande Bharat Express trains on different routes for seamless travel and here’s the list –
1. Bengaluru to Belagavi
As per The Indian Express, the Vande Bharat Express from Bengaluru to Belagavi was inaugurated on August 10 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Operated and maintained by South Western Railway Zone, this is a semi-high-speed train, improving connectivity between North Karnataka and Bengaluru. This express train will operate with train numbers 26751/26752, covering a 611 km distance in a little over eight hours. This newly-launched train will run six days a week. It will not operate on Wednesdays. This Bengaluru to Belagavi train will stop at Yesvantpur, Tumakuru, Davangere, SMM Haveri, SSS Hubballi and Dharwad.
2. Amritsar to Katra
For smooth travel between Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir, Indian Railways started the Vande Bharat Express between Amritsar and Katra recently. This newly-launched Vanda Bharat Express train will ease travel for pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi Temple in Jammu. This train will run with the numbers 26405/26406 and will complete the journey in less than six hours. Amritsar to Katra Vande Bharat Express will take a halt at Beas, Jalandhar City, Pathankot Cantt, and Jammu Tawi. It will operate every day except Tuesday.
3. Nagpur (Ajni) to Pune
Another recently launched Vande Bharat Express will run on the Nagpur to Pune route, and will stop at Wardha, Badnera, Akola, Shegaon, Bhusawal, Jalgaon, Manmad, Kopargaon, Ahilyanagar and Daund Chord Line. This train will cover the entire 881 km distance in 12 hours, significantly cutting travel time and making the journey seamless for passengers. The train number of this express train is 26101/26102 and will run six days a week. The train will depart from Ajni at 9:50 AM and arrive at Pune at 9:50 PM. On the return leg, the train will leave at 6:25 AM and will reach the destination at 6:25 PM.
4. Sabarmati to Veraval
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Sabarmati to Veraval Vande Bharat Express in May. This train covers the 438 km distance from Sabarmati to Somnath in just seven hours. During the journey, it stops at Viramgam, Surendranagar, Wankaner, Rajkot, and Junagadh. According to The Economic Times report, the price for the AC Chair Car is ₹1,105 and ₹2,110 for the Executive Chair Car.
5. Patliputra to Gorakhpur
The Times of India has mentioned that the Patliputra to Gorakhpur Vande Bharat Express was launched to improve connectivity between the two major cities in North India. This train runs with numbers 26502/26501 and covers the distance in approximately seven hours. Operating six days a week, except Saturday, this Express train halts at Gorakhpur, Bagaha, Narkatiaganj, Bettiah, Sagauli, Bapudham Motihari, Muzaffarpur, Hajipur, and Patliputra.
6. Meerut City to Varanasi
The already running Vande Bharat Express between Meerut City and Lucknow, inaugurated in 2024, was extended recently. As per The Indian Express, this train will now operate till Varanasi Junction. Train number 22490/22489 will run from Meerut to Varanasi, stopping at Moradabad, Bareilly, Lucknow, and Ayodhya Dham before arriving at Varanasi Cantt. The entire journey will take about 11 hours and 50 minutes.
7. Bengaluru to Shivamogga
According to Hindustan Times, the Bengaluru to Shivamogga train will stop at major cities like Mysuru, Chennai, Ernakulam, Hyderabad, Dharwad, Coimbatore, and Belagavi. This will be Karnataka’s 12th Vande Bharat Express and will greatly benefit students and business travellers. The official date of this new Vande Bharat Express is yet to be announced, but it will be rolled out soon to make travel easy for train travellers.
Vande Bharat Express trains were launched to enhance the travel experience for Indians. These trains have modern amenities, including Wifi facility, automatic doors, air-conditioning, odour control system, bio-vacuum toilets, sensor-based water taps, and roller blinds
We look forward to the launch of more Vande Bharat Express trains and to seeing how they transform passengers’ perceptions of rail travel. Have you travelled by Vande Bharat Express recently? Share your experience in the comment section!
Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons (Representative Image)