Railway Board is preparing to run Sleeper Vande Bharat between Varanasi Junction and New Delhi. The station has been selected considering the maintenance convenience and is expected to be operational before the festive season.
Varanasi: Passengers of Kashi may soon get the facility of sleeper Vande Bharat Express. Railway Board has started preparations to run trains between Varanasi Junction and New Delhi. At present no final consensus has been reached regarding its route. In view of better maintenance facilities and increasing number of passengers during the festive season, it is expected to be operational soon.
Preparation for operation from Varanasi Junction
Railway Board is preparing to run Sleeper Vande Bharat Express between Varanasi Junction i.e. Cantt Railway Station to New Delhi. This is expected to provide a new option to the passengers of Kashi for long distance travel. However, the final decision has not been taken yet on which route the train will run.
According to railway sources, two rakes of sleeper Vande Bharat are available with the Railways. Earlier, it was planned to run one of these trains between Banaras Railway Station and New Delhi. For this, feasibility was also sought from Banaras station. But due to lack of adequate maintenance arrangements there, now preparations are being made to run the train from Varanasi Junction.
Station changed due to maintenance facility
There is already a solid system for maintenance of trains around Varanasi. In view of this, the Railway Board is considering Varanasi Junction as suitable for the operation of Sleeper Vande Bharat. However, no official information has been given by Northern Railway officials in this regard yet.
Officials have kept distance from a formal announcement, but the feasibility demand is being accepted. In such a situation, the possibility of operating this train between Varanasi Junction and New Delhi has increased. It is expected that the train can be put back on track before the festive season. This can provide additional convenience to passengers going to Delhi during Dussehra and Diwali.
There will be relief from crowd in existing trains
Many major trains are already operating on the Varanasi to Delhi route. Kashi Vishwanath, Sivagangai and Banaras-New Delhi Superfast Express run from Banaras station. At the same time, two Vande Bharat trains and Mahamana Express operate three days a week from Varanasi Junction.
Despite this, train services are not adequate in comparison to the number of passengers. Especially on Sunday evening, trains become overcrowded and passengers face difficulty in getting seats. In such a situation, once Sleeper Vande Bharat starts operating, passengers will get another option on this route. Amidst the increased traffic during the festive season, this service can prove to be a relief for the passengers of Kashi and surrounding areas.