India expands Vande Bharat high‑speed rail network, enabling same‑day trips

The Vande Bharat Express service is being used to turn nearby Indian cities into viable one‑day destinations for Delhi residents. Faster schedules now allow trips to Agra, Jaipur, Haridwar, Chandigarh and Dehradun within a single workday, with onboard meals and comfortable seating.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated four new Vande Bharat routes—Banaras–Khajuraho, Lucknow–Saharanpur, Firozpur–Delhi and Ernakulam–Bengaluru—from Varanasi. He described the launch as a “festival of development” and said, “Vande Bharat is a train made by Indians, for Indians, and of Indians—one that fills every Indian with pride.” The new services cut travel times by two to three hours, linking cultural, commercial and spiritual hubs and supporting regional economic growth.