On Tuesday, West Bengal got another Vande Bharat Express train. It will operate between New Jalpaiguri in the northern part of the state and Bihar’s Patna.
Through video conferencing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the train. As the prime minister showed the green signal to it, the flower-bedecked inaugural train left New Jalpaiguri station. It is one of the 10 Vande Bharat Express trains flagged off by the PM from Ahmedabad, said a senior Northeast Frontier Railway official.
Six Vande Bharat Express trains for WB
The train will provide an important connection between the two states. With this latest addition, West Bengal now has six Vande Bharat Express trains.
From March 14, regular service of the train on the New Jalpaiguri– Patna– New Jalpaiguri route will start from both ends, said the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) official.
At 5.15 am, the train will depart from New Jalpaiguri and reach Patna Junction at 12.10 pm the same day. In its return journey, at 1.00 pm, the train will depart from Patna Junction and will reach New Jalpaiguri at 8 pm the same day.
The Vande Bharat Express will run six days a week (via Kishanganj and Katihar from both ends). It will take approximately seven hours to cover a distance of 471 km on either side. The train will have a seating capacity of 530 passengers. It will be of eight coaches.
The NFR official said that there will be one executive class, five chair cars, and two driver trail coaches.