BIHAR (Metro Rail News): In a major boost to connectivity in North Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Vande Bharat train between Patliputra and Gorakhpur on June 20.
The eight-coach Patliputra-Gorakhpur Vande Bharat Express is equipped with a Level-II safety integration certification that enhances train control, alongside improved fire safety protocols. These advancements include aerosol-based fire detection and suppression systems installed in all electrical compartments and restrooms.
The Vande Bharat train will operate six days a week, with service suspended on Saturdays. The train is scheduled to depart Patliputra at 3:30 PM and arrive in Gorakhpur at 10:30 PM, covering a total distance of 384 km in approximately seven hours. It will include two-minute stops at Hajipur, Muzaffarpur, Motihari, Sagauli, Bettiah, Narkatiaganj, Bagaha, and Kaptanganj, and finally terminate at Gorakhpur.
Currently, there is only one direct train linking these two destinations, namely the Gorakhpur Ranchi Express, which operates exclusively on Saturdays.
This newly inaugurated service represents the seventh Vande Bharat route in Bihar, which includes the Tatanagar-Patna, Howrah-Gaya, Howrah-Bhagalpur, and Varanasi-Deoghar (via Gaya) routes. With this addition, the total number of operational Vande Bharat services across the country has reached 71.
Additionally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also flagged off the indigenously manufactured diesel locomotive built for export to Guinea, a coastal country in Africa.
