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Varanasi-Delhi Vande Bharat sleeper to be flagged off on October 31
Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath are scheduled to jointly flag off the train.
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Rail passengers travelling between eastern Uttar Pradesh and the national capital are set to get a new overnight travel option, with the Varanasi-New Delhi Vande Bharat Sleeper Express scheduled to be inaugurated on October 31. The service will run six days a week via Prayagraj and Kanpur Central, according to the Railway Board’s approved timetable.
Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath are scheduled to jointly flag off the train. Alongside the new long-distance service, the Railway Board has approved eight daily MEMU services between Varanasi City and Raja Talab to improve short-distance connectivity in the Varanasi region.
According to a Railway Board notification issued on October 27, the sleeper train will operate as train numbers 27421 and 27422. Train number 27421 will leave Varanasi at 8.50 pm and reach New Delhi at 5.55 am the following day, covering the journey in nine hours and five minutes. In the return direction, train number 27422 will depart New Delhi at 9.40 pm and arrive in Varanasi at 6.45 am.
The train will stop at Prayagraj and Kanpur Central, with a technical halt at Chipiyana Buzurg. It will not depart from Varanasi on Fridays or from New Delhi on Saturdays.
The train will have 823 berths: 24 in First AC, 188 in AC 2-Tier and 611 in AC 3-Tier. Although it has been tested at speeds of up to 180 kmph, its approved operational speed is 160 kmph. Varanasi will be its primary maintenance station, while watering facilities will be available at Prayagraj and Kanpur Central.
Eight daily MEMU services for Varanasi region
In a separate decision, the Railway Board has approved four pairs of daily MEMU trains between Varanasi City and Raja Talab, adding eight services for commuters travelling through Varanasi Junction, Banaras, Bhulanpur Halt and Hardattpur.
From Varanasi City, the trains will depart at 5.15 am, 7.45 am, 9.10 am and 4 pm, reaching Raja Talab at 6.15 am, 8.45 am, 10.10 am and 5.05 pm, respectively.
In the return direction, services will leave Raja Talab at 6.55 am, 10.50 am, 1 pm and 5.25 pm. Each train will comprise a 12-coach MEMU rake, with primary maintenance at Aunrihar.
Separately, minutes of a Railway Board timetable meeting held on August 17 provide for extending the existing Banaras-Prayagraj Rambag MEMU service, numbered 65111/65112, to Prayagraj Junction.
Under the proposed schedule, the train will leave Banaras at 7 am and reach Prayagraj Rambag at 9.50 am. The return service will depart Prayagraj Rambag at 6 pm and arrive in Banaras at 8.30 pm. It will operate daily, stopping at Raja Talab, Madho Singh, Gyanpur Road, Handia Khas and Jhusi.
While the sleeper train is scheduled for inauguration on October 31, the commencement dates for the regular MEMU services have not yet been announced.
