A new maintenance depot for the semi-high-speed Vande Bharat train will be built on vacant land near Bhatni Junction. Following a directive from the Railway Board, railway officials have inspected the land. The concerned section engineer has surveyed the identified area and submitted a report to the railway administration, which will now initiate further action based on the findings.

This decision comes after the Railway Board rejected a previously proposed site next to the RPF Training Centre. The Board stated that the earlier location lacked the necessary space, as the washing pit alone requires a stretch of at least one kilometer. Furthermore, the Railway Board’s long-term vision is to establish a national-level Vande Bharat depot at the North Eastern Railway headquarters in Gorakhpur, which would be capable of servicing trains from other zones as well.

The search for a suitable depot location in the Gorakhpur area has been ongoing since the Vande Bharat service began. Land in Maniram, Pipiganj, and Nakaha was considered but deemed insufficient. A plan to build the depot at the new washing pit was also prepared but could not be approved due to a lack of space. This led the administration to propose the site near the RPF Training Centre, a proposal that was sent with the former General Manager's consent but was also ultimately denied by the Board.

A dedicated depot for the maintenance, repair, and cleaning of Vande Bharat trains is now essential. The new washing pit in Gorakhpur is already struggling to maintain two Vande Bharat trains, and the coaching depot has stated it cannot handle a third, the planned Gorakhpur-Agra service. This lack of maintenance capacity has become a major obstacle, stalling the launch of proposed Vande Bharat trains on key routes, including Gorakhpur-Agra, Gorakhpur-Delhi, and a service from Banaras.

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With plans to operate more Vande Bharat trains in the future, the construction of this depot is critical. The first Vande Bharat from Gorakhpur Junction was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 7, 2023.

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