In February 2019, Indian Railways introduced India’s first indigenous state-of-the-art semi-high-speed superfast express train named ‘Vande Bharat’ between Delhi and Varanasi.

The Vande Bharat Express Trains in India aims at connecting cities that are at medium distances, i.e., less than eight hundred kilometers away. In other words, these trains operate between cities that take only less than ten hours to travel with current train services.

Did you know? The Ministry of Railways plans to launch nearly four hundred such trains in the coming years. Read more!

The History Behind Vande Bharat Train

The Railway Board of India intended and geared for high-speed trains in the year 1960. The study attempted to increase the speed from 96 km/h back then to 160 km/h. With the help of RDSO (Research Design and Standards Organization) and ICF (Integral Coach Factory), Chennai, the board was able to launch the 120 km/h Rajdhani Express in 1969.

After decades, the board introduced the 160 km/h train in 2016. Again, after the “Make in India” movement, the board introduced indigenously designed self-propelled EMU trainsets with a maximum speed of 183 km/h during the trials in 2018. Later, in 2019, these trainsets were named “Vande Bharat Express Trains” and launched between the capital of India and Varanasi.

Vande Bharat: All You Need to Know About The Train Routes

Here is a brief overview of the first ten routes launched for this express train in India.

2. New Delhi—SMVD KATRA (Jammu and Kashmir)

• It was the second train to be launched.
• The Honorable Minister of Home Affairs flagged it off.
• The train number is 22439.
• It was launched in October 2019.
• It operates all days except Tuesdays.
• The return train runs between SMVD KATRA and New Delhi with train no. 22440.

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3. Mumbai Central (Maharashtra)—Gandhinagar CAP (Gujarat)

• The train number is 20901.
• It was launched in September 2022.
• Except for Sundays, it runs all the other days.
• The return train runs between Gandhinagar CAP and Mumbai Central with train no. 20902.

4. New Delhi—Amb Andaura (Himachal Pradesh)

• The train number is 22447.
• It was launched in October 2022.
• Except for Tuesdays, it operates all other six days a week.
• The return train runs between Amb Andaura and New Delhi with train no. 22448.

5. MGR Chennai Central (Tamil Nadu)—Mysuru Vande Bharat Express (Karnataka)

• The train number is 20608.
• It was launched in November 2022.
• It runs six days a week.
• The return train runs between Mysuru and MGR Chennai Central with train no. 20609.
• It won’t run on Wednesdays.

6. Bilaspur (Bilaspur)—Nagpur (Maharashtra)

• The train number is 20825.
• It was launched in December 2022.
• Except for Saturdays, it runs the remaining six days a week.
• The return train runs between Nagpur and Bilaspur with train no. 20826.

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7. Howrah (West Bengal)—New Jalpaiguri (West Bengal)

• The train number is 22301.
• It was launched in December 2022.
• It operates all days except Wednesdays in a week.
• The return train runs between New Jalpaiguri and Howrah with train no. 22302.

8. Secunderabad (Telangana)—Visakhapatnam (Andra Pradesh)

• The train number is 20834.
• It was launched in December 2022.
• It operates six days a week, leaving on Wednesdays.
• The return train runs between Visakhapatnam and Secunderabad with train no. 20835.

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9. Mumbai Central (Maharashtra)—Sainagar Shirdi (Maharashtra)

• The train number is 22223.
• It was launched in February 2023.
• It runs six days a week, except Tuesdays.
• The return train runs between Sainagar Shirdi and Mumbai Central with train no. 22224.
• However, this train got canceled in 2023 due to poor signal systems and megablocks.

10. Mumbai Central (Maharashtra)—Solapur (Maharashtra)

• The train number is 22225.
• It was launched in February 2023.
• Except for Wednesdays, it runs all the other days.
• The return train runs between Solapur and Mumbai Central with train no. 22226.

The Successive Vande Bharat Train Routes Launched in India

11. Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)—New Delhi (Train number: 20171)
12. Secunderabad (Telangana)—Tirupati (Andra Pradesh) (Train number: 20701)
13. MGR Chennai Central (Tamil Nadu)—Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) (Train number: 20643)
14. Delhi Cantt (New Delhi)—Ajmer (Rajasthan) (Train number: 20977)
15. Thiruvananthapuram Central (Kerala)—Kasaragod (Kerala) (Train number: 20634)
16. Puri (Odisha)-Howrah (West Bengal) (Train number: 22896)

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17. Anand Vihar Terminal (New Delhi)—Dehradun (Uttarakhand) (Train number: 22457)
18. New Jalpaiguri (West Bengal)—Guwahati (Assam) (Train number: 22227)
19. Bengaluru (Karnataka)—Dharwad (Karnataka) (Train number: 20661)
20. Patna (Bihar)—Ranchi (Jharkhand) (Train number: 22349)
21. Indore (Madhya Pradesh)—Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) (Train number: 20991)

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How many Vande Bharat trains are there in India?

As per the latest NDTV article dated February 2024, a total of eighty-two trains are operational across the Indian cities.

2. What facilities are on these trains?

The train has two classes—the AC Executive Class and the AC Chair Car Class. The executive class is furnished with 2×2 rotating seats and the chair car class is furnished with 2×3 retractable seats. These fully air-conditioned trains are equipped with CCTV cameras, wider windows, electric outlets, bio-vacuum toilets, reading lights, automatic doors, onboard catering, water taps with sensors, etc.

3. What are the new routes for Vande Bharat Express?

In March 2024, the ministry introduced around ten new routes. A few of them include Lucknow to Dehradun, Ranchi to Varanasi, Ahmedabad to Mumbai Central, and Bhubaneswar to Visakhapatnam.

4. What routes are expected in the future?

Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu) to MGR Chennai Central (Tamil Nadu), Jaipur (Rajasthan) to Chandigarh (Punjab and Haryana), Jamnagar (Gujarat) to Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Udaipur (Rajasthan) to Jaipur (Rajasthan), etc.

5. Which is the longest-distance Vande Bharat train in India?

It is the first route between Varanasi and New Delhi, accounting for about 757–759 kilometers. The duration is about eight hours.