Politics · India Bureau
New Vande Bharat Sleeper Service Launched on Varanasi-Delhi Route
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express on Saturday, introducing an overnight rail connection between Varanasi and New Delhi that completes the journey in under 10 hours.
LSN India ·
The new overnight service marks a significant expansion of rail connectivity between India's spiritual heart and the national capital. The train will traverse key urban centres across the Indo-Gangetic plain, halting at Prayagraj, Kanpur Central, Aligarh and Ghaziabad, thereby extending modern rail travel amenities to a broader passenger base across the region.
Operating on a nightly schedule, the Vande Bharat Sleeper will depart Varanasi at 8:50 pm, arriving in New Delhi at 6:10 am the following morning. The return service leaves New Delhi at 9:40 pm, reaching Varanasi at 7:10 am. The accelerated transit time represents a substantial improvement over existing overnight rail options on the route.
The Railway Ministry announced the new service on Friday, emphasising its role in strengthening transportation links between two cities of considerable cultural and economic importance to northern India. Officials indicated that the enhanced connectivity would facilitate enhanced passenger mobility and support broader regional development objectives across Uttar Pradesh and the National Capital Region.