Indian Railways has given a big gift to the passengers and tourists traveling between Gujarat's textile and diamond hub 'Surat' and Rajasthan's historical tourist center 'Udaipur'. The Railway Ministry has given official approval for the operation of the new 8-coach semi-high-speed Vande Bharat Express train between Surat and Udaipur City. This will be the first Vande Bharat train which will start from Surat station and end its journey there. Whereas till now this route used to take 10 to 12 hours by other superfast trains or by road, now this distance will be covered in just 7 hours 30 minutes. Surat-Udaipur Vande Bharat schedule and timing: When will the train run? As per the timetable approved by the Railway Board, Train No. 26903/26904 Surat-Udaipur Vande Bharat Express will run 6 days a week (will be closed every Tuesday due to maintenance): Surat to Udaipur (Train No. 26903): This train will depart from Surat Railway Station at 06:10 AM and reach Udaipur City Station at 01:40 PM. Udaipur to Surat (Train No. 26904): In return, this train will depart from Udaipur City at 03:35 PM and reach Surat at 11:00 PM. Primary maintenance of this train will be done in Surat, while it will have watering facilities at Vadodara and Asarwa (Ahmedabad) stations. Route and major stoppages: At which stations this semi-high-speed train will stop. This new Vande Bharat Express will directly connect the central and southern parts of Gujarat with the southern region of Rajasthan. Departing from Surat, this train will stop at Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Maninagar, Asarwa (Ahmedabad), Himmatnagar, Shamlaji Road, Dungarpur and Jawar stations in both directions. Having stoppages at both Maninagar and Asarwa suburban stations within Ahmedabad city will provide a dual option for faster travel to local commuters, businessmen and students. Udaipur-Asarwa Vande Bharat will be closed, new corridor upgraded. With the expansion of this new service, the Railway Board has made an important operational change. The already running train number 26963/26964 Udaipur City–Asarwa Vande Bharat Express is being closed permanently. This route has been extended and upgraded to Surat in South Gujarat and is now being operated directly as Surat-Udaipur Vande Bharat, which will enable passengers to get the benefit of direct long distance premium travel without changing trains. Tourism, business and destination weddings will get a big boost. Every year lakhs of tourists from Surat and South Gujarat visit the lake city of Udaipur, Kumbhalgarh and Shrinathji (Nathdwara). Apart from this, this train will prove to be a game-changer in terms of destination weddings to be held in Rajasthan and inter-state movement of textile-diamond traders. With comfortable ergonomic seats, panoramic windows, automatic plug doors and on-board catering, this journey will not only save time but will also be extremely convenient. There are complete preparations to get this service back on track just before the upcoming festive season and Navratri.
