Prime Minister Narendra Modi to flag off the second Vande Bharat Express train running between Varanasi and New Delhi on Monday, December 18, 2023. In order to achieve the maximum momentous milestone, the train will be flagged off at around 2:15 pm at the Varanasi Railway Station. The train is a semi-high-speed train with a maximum speed of 160 kmph. It has a total of 16 coaches, including six AC coaches, six sleeper coaches, and two pantry cars. The train is equipped with modern facilities such as comfortable seats, Wi-Fi, and CCTV cameras.The second Vande Bharat Express is expected to reduce the travel time between Varanasi and New Delhi to around 8 hours and will benefit the travellers heading to Prayagraj, Kanpur and New Delhi. This will provide a much-needed boost to tourism and business in the region.In addition to this, the New Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction to New Bhaupur Junction segment of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) will also be launched by PM Modi giving a boost to the logistics sector.Schedule of operationsThe regular operation of the Vande Bharat Express is scheduled to commence on December 20, 2023. Departing from Varanasi at 6:00 AM, the train will reach Prayagraj at 07:34 AM, Kanpur Central at 09:30 AM and finally, New Delhi at 2:05 PM.The return journey will see the train departing from New Delhi at 3:00 PM, reaching Kanpur Central at 7:12 PM, Prayagraj at 9:15 PM and concluding its journey in Varanasi at 11:05 PM.The addition in the services marks a significant step towards advancing rail connectivity and providing a superior travel experience for passengers. Vande Bharat is a self-propelled, semi-high-speed train that has been indigenously made under the Make in India initiative.
