Another gift for Uttar Pradesh! Indian Railways will introduce the country’s 25th Vande Bharat Express soon. This new semi-high speed train has been allotted for the North Eastern Railway (NER) zone. This is also the first blue and white colour train for the NER. The train is likely to be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this week.
Speaking to FinancialExpress.com, Pankaj Kumar Singh, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), North Eastern Railway said, “PM Modi is likely to inaugurate Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat on July 7, 2023 (tentative date).”
The North Eastern Railway (NER) has its jurisdiction over the areas of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and western districts of Bihar. This will be the second new age train for the state.
Routes of Uttar Pradesh’s second Vande Bharat Express:-
The new Vande Bharat Express will run between Gorakhpur and Lucknow. The rake from Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF) reached Gorakhpur on Saturday.
Trial run of Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express:-
The trial run of Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express will commence soon. It will be conducted in presence of senior railway officials.
Distance and Travel time of Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express:-
The new Vande Bharat is likely to cover a distance of more than 270 kms in less than four hours. At present, the fastest trains operating between the two cities are: Gorakhdham Express, and Bihar Sampark Kranti Express. Both the trains take four hours and forty five minutes to cover the same distance.
Composition of Gorakhpur-Lucknow-Gorakhpur Vande Bharat Express:-
The Gorakhpur-Lucknow-Gorakhpur Vande Bharat Express will run with eight coaches. It will have a capacity of 530 passengers. It will have two categories of seating arrangement – AC Chair Car and Executive Chair Car.
Significance of Lucknow-Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express:-
Uttar Pradesh’s second Vande Bharat Express will boost the tourism as well as economic growth of the region. The passengers will be able to visit many pilgrimage and historical places such as Gorakhnath Math, Veer Bahadur Singh Planetarium, Ramgarh Taal in Gorakhpur. It will also give fillip to business, trade and commerce.