Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday flagged off the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express between Varanasi and New Delhi, marking the launch of a new overnight rail service that will connect the two cities in less than 10 hours.
The Railway Ministry had announced on Friday that the new service would strengthen connectivity between one of India’s most prominent spiritual and cultural destinations and the national capital.
The train will connect Varanasi, Prayagraj, Kanpur Central, Aligarh and Ghaziabad before reaching New Delhi. These stations serve important urban centres and provide connectivity to surrounding districts, extending the benefits of modern rail travel to a wider passenger base.
The service will depart Varanasi at 8.50 pm and arrive in New Delhi at 6.10 am the following morning. In the return direction, it will leave New Delhi at 9.40 pm and reach Varanasi at 7.10 am the next day.
Compared with the existing Shiv Ganga Express, the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express will reduce journey time from Varanasi to New Delhi by 55 minutes and from New Delhi to Varanasi by 35 minutes, offering passengers a faster overnight travel option in both directions, the ministry had said.
The service will operate six days a week, except Fridays for the Varanasi-originating train and Saturdays for the New Delhi-originating service.
Officials said the overnight schedule would allow passengers to travel in the evening and reach their destination the following morning, helping them make more effective use of their time.
The service is expected to particularly benefit pilgrims, tourists, students, working professionals and families who frequently travel between eastern Uttar Pradesh and the National Capital Region.
