Jharkhand gets another Vande Bharat Express

Jharkhand on Tuesday got another Vande Bharat Express train, which will be operated between state capital Ranchi and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The train was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually from Ahmedabad along with the unveiling of several other railway projects in the state and across the country.

Governor CP Radhakrishnan, Ranchi MP Sanjay Seth and state minister Deepak Birua were among those present at a programme organised at the Ranchi station to mark the unveiling of the projects. "Railway facilities have improved in Jharkhand, right from connectivity to services. Unless the connectivity is improved, development will not come. Coal from Jharkhand is being taken to all parts of the country at a faster speed, which helps in boosting the economy," Radhakrishnan said. "More than Rs 350 crore is being spent for the beatification and setting up of different facilities at the Ranchi station," he added. Birua, the state transport minister, thanked PM Modi for the third Vande Bharat Express train. "This is an achievement for Jharkhand as it will improve connectivity with other states," he said.

Students and teachers of several schools got free rides during the inaugural run of the Vande Bharat Express. The PM also inaugurated the Ranchi-Bondamunda railway line and stalls under the 'One Station One Product' scheme at Ranchi, Hatia, Govindpur Road, Itki, Muri, Piska, Silli, Tangarbasuli, Tatisilwai stations, Barkakana, Ranchi Road and Pradhan Khanta stations. He also inaugurated Gatishakti Cargo Terminals at HURL Sindri in Dhanbad district and North Urimari in the Barka-Sayal area of Central Coalfields in Ramgarh district.

The regular run of the Ranchi-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express will begin on March 18, senior divisional commercial manager of Ranchi Nishant Kumar told PTI. The train will run six days a week, excluding Thursday, and will complete the 571 km distance in seven hours and fifty minutes. The fare between Ranchi and Varanasi will be Rs 2,325 for the Executive AC Chair Car, and Rs 1,160 for AC Chair Car without a meal.

The train will depart Ranchi at 5.10 am and reach Varanasi at 1 pm. While returning, it will leave Varanasi at 4.05 pm and reach Ranchi at 11.55 pm. It will have stops at Muri, Bokaro Steel City, Koderma, Gaya, Sasaram and Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction, a statement said. The state's first Vande Bharat Express, which operates between Ranchi and Patna, was flagged off on June 27, 2023, while the second Vande Bharat Express between Ranchi and Howrah was flagged off on September 24 last year.