look news india
With the arrival of the month of Kartik, preparations for the great festival of folk faith Chhath and the festival of lights Diwali have started in North India, especially Bihar, Jharkhand and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. For lakhs of migrants living in the capital Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad in search of livelihood, studies and jobs, reaching home on these festivals is no less than an ordeal. Regular trains like Sampoorna Kranti Express, Magadh Express, Shramjeevi and Rajdhani Express already have ‘no room’ and long waiting list boards posted three months before the festival. In such a situation, the biggest news that will bring relief to the faces of passengers who are anxious to go home has come from the corridors of Indian Railways. East Central Railway (ECR) and Northern Railway have jointly announced to run 16-coach Vande Bharat Festival Special train equipped with state-of-the-art facilities between New Delhi and Bihar capital Patna. This special superfast train will start its maiden journey from October 16 and will take the responsibility of taking thousands of families home safely and on time by making a total of 18 trips each in both directions during the entire festive season in the months of October and November.
As per the timetable notified by the Railway Board to provide relief to the festival rush, the operation of Train No. 02252 New Delhi-Patna Vande Bharat Festival Special has been thoughtfully planned, so that passengers can start their journey in daylight and reach their destination on the same night. This train will leave from New Delhi Railway Station at 08:35 am. After leaving Delhi, it will reach Aligarh Junction, a major industrial city in western Uttar Pradesh, at 10:21 am and will proceed at 10:23 am after a two-minute halt. After this, its next big stop will be Kanpur Central, the huge commercial center of North India, where it will reach at 01:30 pm and will leave at 01:35 pm after stopping for five minutes. The train will reach the platform at Sangam Nagari Prayagraj Junction at 03:45 pm and will depart at 03:50 pm.
In the evening, this semi-highspeed train will reach Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Junction (Mughalsarai), which is called the gateway of Purvanchal, at 06:00 pm and after a technical and passenger halt of 10 minutes, will enter the border of Bihar at 06:10 pm. After entering Bihar, its first stop will be Buxar Railway Station, where it will reach at 07:26 pm. Departing from Buxar, the train will knock at Ara Junction, the historical center of Bhojpur, at 08:10 pm and after stopping for two minutes, it will reach Patna at 08:12 pm. Ultimately this special Vande Bharat will complete its journey at Patna Junction platform at 09:30 pm the same night. This train will cover the distance of approximately 1000 kilometers between New Delhi and Patna in just 12 hours 55 minutes, which will save at least 3 to 5 hours of valuable time compared to the traditional mail and express trains on this route.
To facilitate the return journey of workers and students returning from Bihar to Delhi after the end of Chhath Puja, Railways has also made concrete arrangements on the reverse route. Train No. 02251 Patna-New Delhi Vande Bharat Festival Special will depart from Patna Junction at 10:00 am. Starting from Patna, it will reach Ara at 10:38 am and Buxar at 11:25 am. Entering the border of Uttar Pradesh, it will reach Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay Junction at 01:10 pm, Prayagraj at 03:35 pm and Kanpur Central at 05:50 pm. After this, this train will end its journey at New Delhi Railway Station at 11:30 pm via Aligarh at 08:53 pm.
Talking about the operational calendar, train number 02252 will leave from New Delhi on its first trip on 16th October. After this, this train will operate regularly from New Delhi every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 21st October to 25th November. In the return direction, train number 02251 will run from Patna on 17th and 19th October and then from Patna to New Delhi on every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday from 22nd October to 26th November. Running three times a week in both directions, it will prove to be a very reliable option for those traveling between Delhi and Patna during peak festival days.
Vande Bharat Express is recognized across the country for its modern design, European-style aerodynamic design and comfortable travel. The New Delhi-Patna Festival Special provides two classes of passengers—AC Chair Car (CC) and Executive Chair Car (EC). As per official railway sources and fare structure, the AC chair car fare from New Delhi to Patna has been set at around ₹2,615 to ₹2,955 and the executive class fare has been set at around ₹4,695, including optional catering and onboard meal charges.
Passengers will get world-class facilities in this modern rake of 16 coaches. The train has 180 degree rotating reclining seats, mobile and laptop charging sockets near every seat, GPS based audio-visual passenger information system, bio-vacuum toilets, automatic sliding doors and large panoramic glass windows. For the safety of passengers, indigenous anti-collision system ‘Kavach’ technology, 24-hour surveillance of CCTV cameras and emergency talk-back units have been installed in the train. Despite the long distance, the train’s advanced suspension system minimizes shaking, allowing the elderly, women and children to comfortably complete the 12-hour journey without any fatigue.
The biggest strategic and geographical advantage of this Vande Bharat Special train is that it is not only connecting Delhi and Patna, but is also providing high speed transport system to the most densely populated corridor of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Passengers from Lucknow, Unnao and surrounding districts can also come to Kanpur and board this train. Similarly, people of Bundelkhand and Central UP will be able to avail the benefit of this train directly from Prayagraj and passengers of Varanasi and Mirzapur from Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay Junction. For lakhs of residents of Shahabad and Magadha region of Bihar, getting stoppage at Buxar and Arrah is no less than a boon. Till now the passengers of Arrah and Buxar had to make an extra trip to either Mughalsarai or Patna for the premium trains coming from Delhi, but with the stoppage of this special Vande Bharat, they will be able to get down directly at the station of their home district.
As soon as special trains are announced during the festive season, there is sure to be a huge surge in the demand for tickets. Railway officials have clarified that booking of tickets for 02252/02251 Vande Bharat Special has been opened on the official website of IRCTC, Rail Connect mobile app and all computerized railway reservation counters. Since this is a festival special service, passengers are advised to confirm their reservations immediately to avoid last minute rush. If for some reason confirmed tickets are not available on key dates, passengers can also look at the options of clone trains and other general public unreserved special trains being run parallel by the Railways. Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Commerce Department have issued instructions to set up special holding areas and additional help desks for crowd control at both major terminals in New Delhi and Patna, so that every passenger can reach home safely, on time and with dignity this festive season.