Indian Railways will operate a second pair of Vande Bharat special trains between New Delhi and Patna during the 2026 festive season, adding services on the route from 22 October and providing a Vande Bharat option on six days a week except Friday.
Northern Railway said the new trains have been approved by the Railway Board. Train 02254 will run from New Delhi to Patna from 22 October to 26 November, while the return service, train 02253, will operate from Patna to New Delhi from 24 October to 28 November. The new pair will make 16 trips in each direction.
Train 02254 will depart New Delhi Railway Station at 8.35 am on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. It will reach Patna Junction at 9.30 pm after stopping at Aligarh, Kanpur Central, Prayagraj, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, Buxar and Ara. The scheduled journey time from New Delhi to Patna is 12 hours and 55 minutes.
The return train, 02253, will leave Patna Junction at 10 am on Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays and reach New Delhi at 11.30 pm. Its scheduled journey time is 13 hours and 30 minutes. The train will stop at Ara, Buxar, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, Prayagraj, Kanpur Central and Aligarh.
The second Vande Bharat special will have a 20-coach rake and offer both AC Chair Car and Executive Chair Car accommodation. The New Delhi–Patna rail distance covered by the service is approximately 996 kilometres. The detailed timings issued by Northern Railway specify arrival and departure times at each scheduled stoppage.
The additional service will operate alongside another Vande Bharat special pair, trains 02252 and 02251, which was announced earlier for the same corridor. The first pair is scheduled to run from New Delhi to Patna on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays between 21 October and 25 November. Its return service will run from Patna to New Delhi on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays between 22 October and 26 November.
Together, the two pairs are scheduled to provide one Vande Bharat special service in both directions on six days of the week, with no Vande Bharat special service planned on Fridays. The arrangement is intended to give passengers travelling between the national capital and Bihar an additional rail option during the festival period.
Northern Railway shared the service details in a public announcement citing passenger convenience during the upcoming festivals. The notified schedules will remain in force for the specified operating periods, after which the special services are scheduled to end unless the railway administration issues a further extension.
