Two new Western Railway services will begin from Sabarmati on October 30, linking Ahmedabad with Varanasi and improving rail access between Sabarmati, Bechraji and Mehsana for religious travellers, commuters, students, workers and traders.
Train number 12205/12206, the Sabarmati–Varanasi Express, will operate daily. The service will leave Sabarmati at 5:20 am and reach Varanasi at 6:30 am the following day. In the return direction, it will depart Varanasi at 5:30 pm and arrive at Sabarmati at 8:15 pm the next day.
The express service will stop at Mehsana, Palanpur, Abu Road, Phalna, Marwar Junction, Beawar, Ajmer, Jaipur, Agra, Govindpuri, Subedarganj near Prayagraj and Mirzapur, according to the report. The route will provide an additional rail connection between Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, while also serving passengers travelling to the Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi.
The second service, the Mehsana–Bechraji–Sabarmati MEMU, will strengthen rail connectivity across northern Gujarat. Its route will cover Sabarmati, Chandkheda, Kalol, Kadi, Bhoyani, Katkosan Road, Bechraji, Chanasma, Ranunj and Mehsana.
One MEMU service will leave Sabarmati at 6:40 am, reach Bechraji at 8:05 am and arrive in Mehsana at 9:45 am. The return service will depart Mehsana at 4:40 pm, reach Bechraji at 5:49 pm and arrive at Sabarmati at 8:30 pm.
A second service will leave Sabarmati at 5:05 pm, reach Bechraji at 6:48 pm and arrive in Mehsana at 8:25 pm. In the opposite direction, it will depart Mehsana at 7:05 am, reach Bechraji at 7:50 am and arrive at Sabarmati at 10:20 am.
The MEMU service is expected to support daily travel for residents of northern Gujarat, including students, salaried workers and traders. It will also improve access to Bechraji, where the Bahuchar Mata temple attracts religious visitors, and to industrial units in the surrounding area.
The Ahmedabad divisional DRM said the two services are expected to promote religious tourism, local trade and industrial activity. The services are scheduled to be flagged off on October 30, marking an expansion of rail options from Sabarmati for both long-distance and regional passengers.
