On 7th July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged Uttar Pradesh’s second Vande Bharat train between Lucknow and Gorakhpur.On its inaugural, thousands of people came to see the Vande Bharat run from Gorakhpur to Lucknow, despite of heavy rainfall in the state. The Prime Minister was accompanied by the governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the launch event. During its inaugural run, the Lucknow-Gorakhpur Vande Bharat train halted at seven stations, including Ayodhya, on its way to Lucknow. The Vande Bharat Express is expected to become a preferred pilgrimage route, connecting two prominent temples in Uttar Pradesh – Ram Janmabhoomi and Gorakhnath. The Vande Bharat Express will provide a faster connectivity through Ayodhya compared to other trains.
The Vande Bharat Express will have 410 seats in the chair car and 35 seats in the executive class. The fare for the chair car is Rs 1,005 between Lucknow and Gorakhpur, while the executive class fare is Rs 1,775. For the journey between Lucknow and Ayodhya, the executive class ticket costs Rs 1,210, and the chair car ticket costs Rs 725. The train will depart from Lucknow at 7:15 pm, reaching Ayodhya at 9:15 pm and finally Gorakhpur at 11:25 pm. On its return journey from Gorakhpur, the train will depart at 6.05am, arrive in Ayodhya at 8.17am, and conclude the journey in Lucknow at 10.20am. The Vande Bharat Express will operate six days a week, excluding Saturdays. It will run on Monday to Friday and Sunday. The Indian Railways has already started accepting bookings for the train, to be run by North Eastern Railway. The train will include seven chair cars and one executive-class coach and will accommodate 556 people. “The regular service of 22549 Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express will commence from 09.07.2023.
