Meerut-Lucknow Vande Bharat Route Extended To Varanasi via Ayodhya; Check Train Timetable, Fares

Meerut-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express: The Indian Railways has announced a change in the route of the Vande Bharat Express connecting Meerut and Lucknow. Starting August 27, the train will now extend its journey up to Varanasi via Ayodhya, giving passengers new travel options on this popular route.

Despite being launched with much fanfare a month ago as a fully air-conditioned high-speed service, the train has not received the expected response from passengers. Data shows that while all Executive Class (EC) seats were booked on August 29, more than 200 seats in the Chair Car (CC) remain vacant for the first six days of operations. On most other days, 25 or more Executive Class seats are also unreserved. As per reports, this lack of demand is causing the Railways losses worth crores every month.

Meerut-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express: Check Train Details & Fare

According to Jagran.com reported, Train No. 22490 Lucknow Vande Bharat Express departs from Meerut City at 06:35 am and reaches Lucknow at 01:45 pm, with halts at Hapur, Moradabad, and Bareilly. Now, the extended service will also cover Ayodhya Cantt and Varanasi. The train runs six days a week, except Wednesday, and has 440 seats in Chair Car (CC) and 52 seats in Executive Class (EC).

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The fare between Meerut and Varanasi is fixed at Rs 1,915 for Chair Car and Rs 3,525 for Executive Class, inclusive of catering charges.

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Meerut-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express: Why Route Changes?

One of the main reasons cited for the lukewarm response is the train’s daytime schedule. Covering 782 km in 11 hours 50 minutes, the train reaches Lucknow and Meerut ahead of schedule but is often held up outside stations due to platform unavailability, particularly at Lucknow.

Passengers have also demanded that the service be converted into an overnight train with sleeper facilities, allowing travellers to reach their destination by morning, which they believe would make it more convenient and increase occupancy.

Meerut-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express: Check Timetable