Jharkhand To Get Three New Vande Bharat Express Services From September 15

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to flag off three new Vande Bharat Express trains on September 15, further expanding India's network of semi-high-speed rail services. The new routes, all originating from Jharkhand, will connect Tatanagar-Patna, Deoghar-Varanasi, and Tatanagar-Berhampur (Odisha).

The Tatanagar-Patna Vande Bharat Express is expected to complete the journey in approximately seven hours, operating six days a week. Tentative schedules suggest a 6am departure from Tatanagar, arriving in Patna at 1pm, with a return journey departing at 3pm and reaching Tatanagar by 11pm.

Meanwhile, the Deoghar-Varanasi route will enhance connectivity between two significant pilgrimage sites, both home to Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. This train will pass through the Kiul-Gaya route in Bihar, with a scheduled stop at Nawada.

The expansion comes as Patna already enjoys Vande Bharat connections to Ranchi, Howrah, New Jalpaiguri, and Lucknow. However, the service has faced challenges, with a recent incident of stone-pelting reported on the Lucknow-Patna route near Varanasi.

In related news, Prime Minister Modi recently inaugurated three other Vande Bharat services connecting Meerut-Lucknow, Madurai-Bengaluru, and Chennai-Nagercoil.

Odisha is also set to receive its fourth Vande Bharat Express, with the Tatanagar-Berhampur route scheduled to commence operations on September 15, running six days a week excluding Tuesdays.