Varanasi: In a significant push to rail connectivity between UP and Maharashtra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday flagged off two new Amrit Bharat Express trains — Varanasi to Pune (Hadapsar) and Ayodhya to Mumbai (Lokmanya Tilak Terminus).For UP, this development holds special significance as Varanasi and Ayodhya, being major spiritual destinations, attract millions of devotees annually, and an enhanced rail connectivity to metropolitan cities like Mumbai and Pune is expected to boost tourism, an official statement said.“The Banaras-Hadapsar (Pune) service will facilitate easier access to Kashi Vishwanath Dham, while the Ayodhya-Mumbai service will improve connectivity to the Shri Ram Mandir Teerth Kshetra,” a press note from the Railway ministry said.The trains are expected to particularly benefit daily passengers, migrant workers, and pilgrims travelling between the two states, providing direct connectivity and eliminating the need to change trains.Soon after being flagged off by the PM via video conferencing from his public meeting venue at Banaras Locomotive Works, the Banaras-Hadapsar Amrit Bharat Express train (inaugural special train No 02531) left Banaras Railway Station for Hadapsar around 5:41 pm on Tuesday.Prime Minister Modi flagged off the train via video conferencing from his public meeting venue at Banaras Locomotive Works, while North Eastern Railway’s general manager Udai Bonworker, divisional railway manager (NER Varanasi) Ashish Jain, CPRO NER Gorakhpur Sumit Kumar and many other senior officials were present at platform 8 of the Banaras Railway Station, where a ceremony was also organised to mark the occasion.The inaugural run of Ayodhya-Mumbai (Lokmanya Tilak Terminus) Amrit Bharat Express started from Ayodhya Cantt in the evening and terminated at Mumbai LTT late in the evening on the following day, completing the journey in approximately 28 hours. It will also provide residents of Varanasi and its surrounding areas with an affordable, fast and comfortable daily travel facility for travel to Pune and back.According to the ministry, Amrit Bharat Express trains have been designed for the common man, offering a blend of comfort, convenience, and affordability.Originating from Banaras, the train will cover important stations such as Prayagraj and Jhansi in UP; Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh; and in Maharashtra, Manmad and Kopargaon, which together serve as the primary rail gateway to Shirdi before terminating at Hadapsar, Pune’s fastest-growing suburb.“The inaugural run of Banaras Hadapsar (Pune) Amrit Bharat Express will start from Banaras in the evening and will terminate at Hadapsar (Pune) late at night on the following day, completing the journey in approximately 30 hours,” the ministry said.The train will make 18 stops, including Gyanpur Road, Prayagraj, Fatehpur, Govindpuri, Orai, Virangana Lakshmibai Jhansi, Bina, Rani Kamlapati, Narmadapuram, Itarsi, Harda, Khandwa, Bhusaval, Jalgaon, Manmad, Kopargaon, Ahilyanagar, Daund, and Hadapsar.Officials said that after the inaugural run, the ministry will announce the scheduled operations of these two trains very soon.Fares of the Amrit Bharat trains are approximately 15 to 17 per cent higher than those of regular Mail and Express trains.
