PM Modi flags off 2 Vande Bharat Express trains; Check out its features, price, other details
The Vande Bharat Express train between Lucknow and Gorakhpur is being launched ahead of the Ram Mandir inauguration in 2024 and before the completion of the airport work at Ayodhya. It will offer better connectivity to two of the biggest temples in Uttar Pradesh – Ram Janmabhoomi and Gorakhnath – and has the potential to become a favoured pilgrimage route.
FollowPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (July 7) flagged off Vande Bharat Express train in Gorakhpur and said that leaders from across the country are requesting Vande Bharat trains to be run from their region.
Terming Vande Bharat as a boon to middle class society, PM Modi said, "Vande Bharat train has given a new flight to the middle class of the country with facilities and amenities. Today, leaders from every corner of the country are writing letters to me asking that Vande Bharat be run from our region as well."
Once the Vande Bharat Express begins service on Sunday, July 9, Ayodhya will just be two hours distant from Lucknow and Gorakhpur. A train system is being introduced before the opening of the Ram Mandir in 2024 and before the construction of the Ayodhya airport is finished. It would provide improved access to Gorakhnath and Ram Janmabhoomi, two of Uttar Pradesh's largest temples, and has the potential to become a popular route for pilgrims.
As of now, neither Gorakhpur nor Ayodhya have Shatabdi or Rajdhani connectivity. And the Vande Bharat will also ensure that Ayodhya and Gorakhpur are well connected, which was not the case before. Travel from Lucknow would be made easier, while Gorakhpur, another important religious centre, will have enhanced connection. While Ayodhya has good train service to Lucknow, it has poor service to Gorakhpur. Between Ayodhya and Gorakhpur, there aren't many trains that run.
Travel time and stops: Between Lucknow and Gorakhpur, the Vande Bharat will travel in little under four hours. It will make stops at Basti and Ayodhya. The railway would make travelling to Ayodhya from these towns easier as Gorakhpur and Lucknow have air connections.
Fare details: Between Lucknow and Gorakhpur, Vande Bharat, which has 410 chair car seats and 35 executive class seats, costs Rs 1,005 and Rs 1,775, respectively. Executive class costs Rs. 1,210 and chair vehicle costs Rs. 725 for the trip from Lucknow to Ayodhya.
Timings and operational days: The train will leave Lucknow at 7:15 p.m. and arrive in Ayodhya at 9:15 p.m., before continuing on to Gorakhpur at 11:25 p.m. The train will depart Gorakhpur at 6.05 am and arrive in Ayodhya at 8.17 am. At 10.20 am, the trip will arrive in Lucknow. Except for Saturdays, it will operate six days a week.
As of right present, the quickest trains between Lucknow and Gorakhpur are the Gorakhdham Express and the Bihar Sampark Kranti Express. Both of them run seven days a week and take four hours and 45 minutes to accomplish the route. First-class air travel costs Rs 1,255, second-class air travel costs Rs 760, and third-class air travel costs Rs 555.
The North Eastern Railway (NER) is headquartered in Gorakhpur, which, after Hubli Junction in Karnataka, boasts the second-longest railway platform in the world. This is the second Vande Bharat specifically for Uttar Pradesh and the first for this zone.
It was also the first Vande Bharat for Uttar Pradesh between Delhi and Varanasi. The Delhi-Dehradun and Delhi-Bhopal Vande Bharat trains also stop in Uttar Pradesh. There are now 23 Vande Bharat trains running in India.
