Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched two new train services from Gujarat on October 30, including the daily Sabarmati–Varanasi Express and the Mehsana–Becharaji–Sabarmati MEMU service, expanding rail access for passengers, pilgrims, workers and daily commuters in northern Gujarat.
The services were inaugurated through video conferencing, according to Divya Bhaskar. The Sabarmati–Varanasi Express will connect important cities in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, while the MEMU service will link Sabarmati, Ahmedabad and Mehsana with Becharaji and other stations in the region.
The Sabarmati–Varanasi Express will depart from Sabarmati at 5.20 am and reach Varanasi at 6.30 am the following day. In the return direction, it will leave Varanasi at 5.30 pm and reach Sabarmati at 8.15 pm the next day. The service will stop at Mehsana, Palanpur, Abu Road, Ajmer, Jaipur, Bharatpur, Agra Junction, Tundla, Govindpuri and Mirzapur, among other stations listed in the report.
The new long-distance service provides a direct rail connection between western Gujarat and Varanasi, a major pilgrimage and urban centre in Uttar Pradesh. Its route also links passengers to major cities in Rajasthan and the Delhi–Uttar Pradesh corridor through scheduled stops at locations including Jaipur, Bharatpur, Agra and Mirzapur.
The second service, the Mehsana–Becharaji–Sabarmati MEMU, will operate twice a day. It will stop at Chandkheda, Kalol, Kadi, Bhoyani, Katosan Road, Becharaji, Chanasma and Ranuj. The service is expected to support passengers travelling to the Bahuchar Mata temple in Becharaji as well as employees and workers travelling to the area’s automobile and industrial facilities.
The morning service from Sabarmati will depart at 6.40 am and reach Becharaji at 8.05 am. It will leave Becharaji at 8.07 am and reach Mehsana at 9.45 am. The report also lists an evening service from Mehsana at 4.40 pm, reaching Becharaji at 5.49 pm, before departing at 5.51 pm for Sabarmati, where it is scheduled to arrive at 8.30 pm.
A separate evening movement from Sabarmati is listed as departing at 5.05 pm, reaching Becharaji at 6.48 pm and continuing at 6.50 pm to Mehsana, with arrival scheduled for 8.25 pm. The morning and evening availability is expected to provide additional options for daily passengers travelling between Sabarmati and Mehsana.
The MEMU route brings together Ahmedabad’s northern suburban belt, Mehsana and Becharaji, where religious travel and industrial employment generate regular passenger demand. The service’s operational effect will depend on adherence to the announced timetable and its integration with existing rail connections. The newly launched services will now begin scheduled operations on their respective routes.
