The Vande Bharat sleeper train linking Varanasi and New Delhi has been flagged off, cutting the scheduled rail journey between the two cities from about 13–14 hours to approximately 9–9.5 hours, according to a report by Aaj Tak Business. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw jointly flagged off the service and inspected its passenger facilities.
The train will cover the approximately 760-km distance between Varanasi and New Delhi at a maximum speed of 180 km per hour. Its route includes stops at Prayagraj, Kanpur Central, Aligarh and Ghaziabad, connecting Varanasi with several major urban centres and districts along the corridor.
The service is configured with 16 coaches and offers three classes: Third AC, Second AC and First AC. Facilities highlighted during the inspection included charging points, mobile stands, bottle holders and toilet amenities. The sleeper configuration is intended to support overnight travel between eastern Uttar Pradesh and the national capital.
During the inspection, Vaishnaw explained the train’s features and seating arrangements to Adityanath. The chief minister also interacted with passengers, schoolchildren and the locomotive pilot. A video shared by the railway minister on X showed Adityanath speaking with passengers inside the train and asking one traveller whether they were travelling to Delhi. The two leaders also visited the locomotive cabin, where the pilot described aspects of the train’s operation.
The launch was accompanied by the start of two other services: the Banaras–Prayagraj Ram Bagh train and the Varanasi City–Rajatalab train. Together, the announcements expand rail connectivity around Varanasi, a major religious, tourism and economic centre, while linking it more efficiently with Prayagraj and the wider Delhi-bound network.
According to the schedule reported by Aaj Tak Business, train number 27421 will depart from Varanasi at 8.50 pm and reach New Delhi at 5.55 am the following morning. The return service, train number 27422, will leave New Delhi at 9.40 pm and arrive in Varanasi at 6.45 am the next day.
The corridor’s shorter scheduled journey time will give passengers an overnight alternative to longer conventional rail services. The reported stops at Prayagraj, Kanpur Central, Aligarh and Ghaziabad also position the service as a connection between multiple urban markets rather than only a point-to-point link between Varanasi and Delhi. The railway ministry’s next operational milestones will include the regular running of the service according to the published timetable.
