The Railway Board has approved a new daily Sabarmati–Varanasi Express to strengthen rail connectivity between Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, with the service planned to run using modern LHB coaches and stop at 22 stations, including Jaipur, Ajmer, Palanpur and Mahesana.
The train will operate under numbers 12206 and 12205. According to the Railway Board order reported by Gujarat Samachar, train 12206 will depart from Varanasi at 5.30 pm and reach Sabarmati at 8.15 pm the following day. The return service, train 12205, will leave Sabarmati at 5.20 am and arrive in Varanasi at 6.30 am the next day.
The approval instructs the concerned railway zones to complete the required preparations and begin operations at the earliest. However, the official start date has not yet been announced. The service will run daily once the operational arrangements are completed.
The planned commercial stops are Mirzapur, Subedarganj, Govindpuri, Tundla Junction, Idgah, Agra Junction, Bharatpur, Nadbai, Kherli, Mandawar Mahuwa Road, Bandikui, Gandhinagar Jaipur, Jaipur, Kishangarh, Ajmer, Beawar, Marwar, Falna, Abu Road, Palanpur and Mahesana, in addition to the Sabarmati and Varanasi terminals.
The train will use LHB coaches, which are the modern coach type deployed across several long-distance services. The Railway Board has allocated three LHB rakes for the operation. Primary maintenance of the train will be carried out at Varanasi, according to the reported order.
Water-filling arrangements for the coaches will be available at Govindpuri, Tundla, Jaipur and Ajmer stations. These facilities form part of the operational preparations required for the daily service and its long-distance route across northern and western India.
The route will connect Sabarmati with Varanasi through a chain of important railway stations in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. The approved stops include major urban centres such as Jaipur, Ajmer and Agra as well as smaller stations along the corridor, giving passengers access to a wider set of intermediate destinations.
The approval expands direct rail access between the Ahmedabad region, represented by Sabarmati, and the Varanasi region. The source report does not specify the fare structure, detailed timetable for intermediate stations, coach composition or the date on which bookings will open. Those details are expected to be confirmed through the railway zones’ operational notifications before the service begins.
The immediate next step is for the concerned railway authorities to complete preparations for the service. The Railway Board has directed that the train be introduced at the earliest, but the commencement date remains pending.
