The Vande Bharat Express trains epitomise the future of Indian Railways, highlighting India’s commitment to innovation, self-reliance, and sustainable development. The first Vande Bharat Express was inaugurated on February 15, 2019, serving the New Delhi-Kanpur-Allahabad-Varanasi route at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour. As new routes are launched and services expand, these trains will continue to transform travel for millions of passengers across India.
Currently, every state in the country has at least one Vande Bharat Express connection, except for the six states in the North East, where the rail network has not yet achieved full electrification. With Indian Railways prioritising the rapid deployment of these semi-high-speed trains, more cities will soon be served by Vande Bharat services. To date, these trains have reached most of the states and Union Territories.
The states that are already covered include Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
However, in the northeastern region of the country, only one state has access to the Vande Bharat Express train – Assam. Other northeastern states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura, are yet to receive Vande Bharat Express connectivity.
The only Vande Bharat Express train in North East
The New Jalpaiguri-Guwahati Vande Bharat Express is a key rail service connecting Guwahati, the capital city of Assam, with New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal. Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 29, 2023, this train operates six days a week, with a break on Tuesdays. It makes several stops along its route, including New Jalpaiguri Jn, New Cooch Behar Jn, New Alipurduar, Kokrajhar, New Bongaigaon Jn, and Kamakhya Jn.
Covering a distance of 411 kilometers, the train completes its journey in approximately 5 hours and 30 minutes, making it about an hour faster than the previous quickest service on this route. The fare for an AC chair car from Guwahati to New Jalpaiguri is Rs 1,225, while an Executive chair car costs Rs 2,205.
PM Modi flags off six more Vande Bharat Express trains
Additionally, PM Narendra Modi on September 15 flagged off six more Vande Bharat Express trains on Tatanagar-Patna, Brahmapur-Tatanagar, Rourkela-Howrah, Deoghar-Varanasi, Bhagalpur-Howrah and Gaya-Howrah routes. Given the high demand for these trains due to their speed and comfort, Indian Railways expect them to be introduced on additional intercity routes in the near future.
With this, the total number of Vande Bharat Express trains has reached the 60 mark (120 services), however, only one has been gifted to the northeastern region yet.