Varanasi, 31 October (H.S.): The country’s second Vande Bharat Sleeper train departed from Varanasi railway station for New Delhi on Saturday, marking the launch of a new overnight rail service. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath flagged off the train. It is the first Vande Bharat Sleeper service in Uttar Pradesh.

On the occasion, two new MEMU train services were also inaugurated: one between Varanasi City and Raja Talab, and the other between Banaras and Prayagraj Rambag.

The introduction of the Vande Bharat Sleeper service is expected to make overnight rail travel between Varanasi and New Delhi more modern, convenient and comfortable. The new service will strengthen rail connectivity between eastern Uttar Pradesh and the national capital. The train will run via Prayagraj, Kanpur Central, Aligarh and Ghaziabad before reaching New Delhi.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Vande Bharat Sleeper service between Varanasi and New Delhi would offer middle-class families a modern and convenient option for rail travel. Designed specifically for long-distance overnight journeys, the sleeper train incorporates advanced technology, enhanced safety systems and special passenger-friendly facilities.

Vaishnaw also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had approved the Northern Corridor of the proposed bullet train network. The corridor will originate in Delhi and connect Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow and Ayodhya before extending to Varanasi and Patna, and further to Guwahati.

According to the minister, once the corridor is completed in the coming years, travel time from Delhi is expected to be reduced to 59 minutes to Agra, one hour and 45 minutes to Kanpur, two hours and 12 minutes to Lucknow, and three hours and 33 minutes to Varanasi.

The Railway Minister also dismissed the perception that bullet trains would be meant only for the affluent, stating that fares would be kept affordable and significantly lower than air travel.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the new railway service and congratulated the people of Uttar Pradesh. He said the additional rail services would expand transport facilities across the state and provide passengers with better travel options.

According to the Railways, the new service will reduce travel time compared with the existing Shiv Ganga Express by approximately 55 minutes on the Varanasi-New Delhi journey and around 35 minutes on the return journey.

The train is scheduled to depart from Varanasi at 8:50 pm and arrive in New Delhi at 6:10 am the following day. On its return journey, it will leave New Delhi at 9:40 pm and reach Varanasi at 7:10 am the next morning. The service will operate six days a week, with no departure from Varanasi on Fridays and no departure from New Delhi on Saturdays.

According to the Ministry of Railways, the introduction of the Vande Bharat Sleeper service between Varanasi and New Delhi will benefit pilgrims and tourists visiting the religious and cultural city, as well as people travelling for education, business and employment. The overnight service is expected to make journeys between the two cities more convenient, allowing passengers to reach their destination early the following morning.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar