Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off a total of eight new trains on December 30, 2023. These include two new Amrit Bharat Express trains and six new Vande Bharat Express train services.
Ayodhya: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the Ayodhya Dham railway station. The Prime Minister flagged off six trains from the railway stations which included two Amrit Bharat trains and six Vande Bharat trains. The introduction of these new Vande Bharat routes marks a major stride in the country’s high-speed rail network. These semi-high speed trains are designed to enhance connectivity and efficiency across various regions.
Indian Railways Amrit Bharat Train: Routes, stoppages
Darbhanga-Ayodhya-Anand Vihar Terminal Amrit Bharat Express
Departure: Train number 15557 will depart from Darbhanga every Monday and Thursday at 3:00 PM to reach Anand Vihar Terminal station in Delhi at 12:35 PM the next day taking 21 hours and 35 minutes.
Stoppages: En route the train will stop at Kamtul, Janakpur Road, Sitamarhi, Bairgania, Raxaul, Narkatiyaganj, Bagha, Kaptanganj, Gorakhpur, Basti, Mankapur, Ayodhya Dham, Lucknow, Kanpur Central, Etawah, Tundla, Aligarh Junction, Anand Vihar Terminal.
Return: Train number 15558 Anand Vihar-Darbhanga Amrit Bharat Express will depart from Anand Vihar every Tuesday and Friday at 3:10 PM to reach Darbhanga the next day at 11:50 PM taking 20 hours and 40 minutes.
Malda Town-Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminus (Bengaluru) Amrit Bharat Express
Features: The new train has 22 coaches with 12 sleeper class coaches, 8 unreserved second class coaches and two guard compartments. It boasts of a host of passenger friendly amenities such as sealed gangways, semi permanent couplers between coaches for jerk free rides, cushioned luggage racks, modular toilets, passenger information display boards, illuminated floor strips, mobile charging points and mobile holders next to each seat etc.
Ticket price: The final ticket price for the Darbhanga-Anand Vihar Amrit Bharat Express is currently unknown, as it has not been made available on the IRCTC website.
Indian Railways: Vande Bharat Train List
- Ayodhya Dham – Anand Vihar Delhi Terminal Vande Bharat Express
- Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express
- Amritsar-Delhi Vande Bharat Express
- Coimbatore-Bangalore Cantt Vande Bharat Express
- Mangalore-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express
- Jalna-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express
22425/22426 Ayodhya Cantt-Anand Vihar-Ayodhya Vande Bharat Express: Schedule, stoppages
- Train number 22426 Ayodhya-Anand Vihar Vande Bharat Express will depart from Anand Vihar Terminal in Delhi at 6:10 AM to reach Ayodhya Cantt station at 2:30 PM taking 8 hours and 20 minutes.
- En route the train will stop at Kanpur Central and Lucknow.
- Train number 22425 Ayodhya-Anand Vihar Vande Bharat Express will leave from the Ayodhya Cantt station at 3:20 PM and reach Anand Vihar Terminal at 11:40 PM taking 8 hours and 20 minutes.
- The train will run on all days of the week except for Wednesday.
- Train number 22425/22426 Ayodhya Cantt-Anand Vihar-Ayodhya Vande Bharat Express will begin regular service from January 4, 2024.
Meanwhile, the holy city has been decked up with flowers, murals and thematic ornamental columns amid heavy security deployment. Huge posters with images of Modi have been put up at prominent locations here, while cut-outs of Lord Ram have been installed outside the redeveloped railway station.
This visit by the Prime Minister comes just ahead of the ‘pran pratishtha’ or consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir on January 22.