Politics · India · 2 hrs ago
Vande Bharat Sleeper to cut Varanasi-Delhi journey to 8-9 hours
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the new Vande Bharat Sleeper will link Varanasi and Delhi with a faster overnight service.
He said the journey will take 8-9 hours instead of 13-14 hours.
The train was flagged off in Varanasi on October 31, with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also taking part.
The route connects Varanasi, a major spiritual centre, with the national capital.
New MEMU trains will also serve local passengers, including people travelling to Rajatalab and between Kashi and Prayagraj.
Monthly passes will cost Rs 95 for one service and Rs 220 for the Kashi-Prayagraj service, according to Adityanath.
The services are intended to make travel easier for residents, pilgrims, students and others, while the new sleeper train is expected to save long-distance passengers time.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the new Vande Bharat Sleeper train will cut travel time between Varanasi and Delhi from 13–14 hours to 8–9 hours.
Adityanath and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flagged off the service and other new rail services in Varanasi on October 31, 2026.
Adityanath said the train would improve connectivity between two major spiritual and cultural centres.
He also announced affordable MEMU services, including monthly passes for routes serving Rajatalab and Prayagraj.
- Who
- Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
- What
- They flagged off the Varanasi–New Delhi Vande Bharat Sleeper Express and other new rail services.
- When
- Saturday, October 31, 2026.
- Where
- Kashi, in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
- Why
- The sleeper train is intended to cut travel time and strengthen connectivity between Varanasi and Delhi.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first Vande Bharat train on the Delhi–Varanasi route.
Yogi Adityanath and Ashwini Vaishnaw flagged off the Varanasi–New Delhi Vande Bharat Sleeper Express and other new rail services.
- Proposed Varanasi–Delhi journey time
- 8–9 hours
- Previous Varanasi–Delhi journey time
- 13–14 hours
- Flag-off location
- Kashi, Varanasi
- MEMU monthly pass to Rajatalab
- Rs 95
- MEMU monthly pass between Kashi and Prayagraj
- Rs 220
What people are saying
Connecting Kashi, India’s spiritual capital, to the national capital, Delhi, will be pleasant and auspicious.
Today, however, every such crossing has been replaced by an underpass or a railway overbridge.
The impact of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is now visible everywhere.