Uttar Pradesh: Vande Bharat Express Likely To Run Between Gorakhpur And Prayagraj

The Indian Railways is considering operating a 'Vande Bharat' express train between Prayagraj and Gorakhpur, with the state capital serving as the only stop. 

The move will benefit passengers travelling between Prayagraj, Lucknow, and Gorakhpur. 

According to railway officials, the proposed train will depart from Prayagraj junction around 6.20 am, and arrive in Gorakhpur around 2.20 pm, reports the Times of India.  

The elite train could depart around 3 pm, arrive in Lucknow around 7 pm and Prayagraj around 10.30 pm on its return journey.

The Vande Bharat train will travel in one day from Prayagraj to Gorakhpur and back from Gorakhpur to Prayagraj once it is in operation. 

If this happens, it will fulfil a long-standing demand of Prayagraj and Lucknow residents to run a Shatabdi train between the two cities. 

Officials added that this also means that a single rake of the semi-high-speed train can meet the requirement.

According to officials, the Railway Board had requested information from North Eastern Railways (NER) for the time slot if they could operate a train between Prayagraj and Gorakhpur.

Currently, two Vande Bharat trains are running between New Delhi-Varanasi and New Delhi-Katra stations.

If the elite train service between Varanasi and Gorakhpur begins, the National Capital Region can be connected to eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Although no official confirmation of the new train's operation has been made, BJP MP from Phulpur Keshari Devi Patel has repeatedly raised the issue with the Railway Board. 

"If the Vande Bharat train is introduced between Prayagraj and Lucknow, and then to Gorakhpur, it will be a boon for commuters in both Prayagraj and Gorakhpur," said the MP.

"Although we have not received any official confirmation in regard to the running of the Vande Bharat train between Prayagraj and Gorakhpur, there has been a long-standing demand in this direction," said North Central Railway's (NCR) chief public relations officer Shivam Sharma.

He added that work on the infrastructure required to handle the Vande Bharat train was underway at the Prayagraj division of the NCR.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last year announced that as many as 75 Vande Bharat trains will run across India by Independence Day in 2023.

The Railway Board's move of higher capacity electrification will reportedly complement the 75 Vande Bharat trains, which are scheduled to hit the tracks by August 2023.