Indian Railways has approved a new tri-weekly Amrit Bharat Express between Bhuj in Gujarat and Barauni in Bihar, covering 2,532 km and connecting key destinations across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The Railway Ministry said the date for the commencement of the new service will be announced separately. The train will provide an additional rail connection between western and eastern India.

The new service will operate as Train No. 19427 from Bhuj to Barauni and Train No. 19428 in the return direction.

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“Train No. 19427 Bhuj-Barauni Amrit Bharat Express will depart from Bhuj at 5.30 pm and reach Barauni at 04.05 am. In the return direction, Train No. 19428 Barauni-Bhuj Amrit Bharat Express will depart Barauni at 11.55 pm and reach Bhuj at 1.15 pm,” the Railway Ministry said.

The Bhuj-Barauni service will run three days a week: Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. The Barauni-Bhuj service will operate on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The new Amrit Bharat Express will connect several major stations across four states.

Its commercial stoppages will include Samakhiali, Ahmedabad, Ratlam, Kota, Sawai Madhopur, Gangapur City, Bharatpur, Mathura, Hathras, Bareilly, Izzatnagar, Pilibhit, Lakhimpur, Gonda, Gorakhpur, Siwan, Chhapra, Hajipur, Muzaffarpur and Samastipur, among others.

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“The new train service will provide an additional rail travel option between western and eastern parts of the country and improve connectivity for passengers travelling between Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar,” the Ministry said.

The 2,532-km service will create a direct rail link between Bhuj and Barauni while passing through important cities and transport hubs in western, northern and eastern India.

The route will give passengers travelling between Gujarat and Bihar an additional train option, while also connecting destinations in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

In another decision, the Railway Ministry has approved the extension of Train No. 11901/11902 Virangana Lakshmibai Jhansi-Agra Cantt Express up to Mathura.

The extension will provide an additional train service for passengers travelling between Jhansi, Agra and Mathura.

“The extension will provide an additional train service between Virangana Lakshmibai Jhansi and Mathura, offering greater convenience to passengers travelling between Jhansi, Agra and Mathura,” the Ministry said.

Following the extension, Train No. 11901 will run from Virangana Lakshmibai Jhansi to Mathura, while Train No. 11902 will operate from Mathura to Virangana Lakshmibai Jhansi.

The total journey distance will increase from 217 km to 270 km following the extension to Mathura.

Train No. 11901 will depart from Virangana Lakshmibai Jhansi at 4 pm and reach Mathura at 11 pm.

In the return direction, Train No. 11902 will depart from Mathura at 5.05 am and reach Virangana Lakshmibai Jhansi at 12.50 pm.

The extended section will have commercial stoppages at Raja Ki Mandi, Runkuta, Deen Dayal Dham and Baad.

The additional stops are expected to provide passengers at these stations with greater access to rail services connecting the Jhansi, Agra and Mathura corridor.

The two decisions expand rail connectivity across different parts of the country. While the new Bhuj-Barauni Amrit Bharat Express will create an additional long-distance connection between western and eastern India, the extension of the Jhansi-Agra Cantt Express will extend an existing service further to Mathura.

Both changes are aimed at providing passengers with additional travel options and improving connectivity across key railway routes.

Inputs from PTI