Get ready to travel between Banaras and Agra in style and speed! The Indian Railways has announced that the much-awaited Banaras-Agra Vande Bharat train will begin its regular service on Monday, September 23. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a virtual ceremony on September 16, 2024, gave the green signal for this modern and efficient train, marking a significant milestone in enhancing connectivity between these two historical cities.
The eight-coach Vande Bharat train is expected to cover the distance from Agra to Banaras in just seven hours, offering a considerable reduction in travel time. Ashok Kumar, the public relations officer of the Varanasi division of North Eastern Railway (NER), has released the official schedule for the train.
The Vande Bharat train, numbered 20175, will depart from Banaras station at 3:20 PM and arrive at its final destination, Agra Cantonment, at 10:20 PM. En route, the train will make stops at the following times:
*
Prayagraj:
4:50 PM*
Kanpur Central:
6:57 PM*
Etawah:
8:17 PM*
Tundla:
9:32 PM*
Agra Cantt:
10:20 PMThe return journey, operated by train number 20176, will commence from Agra Cantonment at 6 AM and reach Banaras at 1 PM. The stops and timings for the return journey are as follows:
*
Tundla:
6:48 AM*
Etawah:
7:40 AM*
Kanpur Central:
9:15 AM*
Prayagraj:
11:25 AM*
Banaras station:
1 PMIt’s important to note that the Banaras-Agra Vande Bharat train will operate on all days of the week except Friday. The fares for the chair car and executive class coaches of the Vande Bharat train will be announced soon.
The launch of the Banaras-Agra Vande Bharat train is part of a larger initiative by the Indian Railways to introduce six new Vande Bharat trains on September 16. These trains are specifically designed to promote religious tourism by providing faster access to significant pilgrimage sites. Some of the destinations covered by these trains include Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar (Jharkhand), the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Kalighat, and Belur Math in Kolkata (West Bengal).
The introduction of these high-speed, modern trains is a testament to the Indian Railways’ commitment to providing efficient and comfortable travel experiences for passengers. This initiative is expected to significantly boost tourism and economic development in the regions served by these trains.
