Varanasi–Delhi Vande Bharat Sleeper flag-off planned for October 31
Railways has announced an October 31 flag-off for Varanasi–New Delhi Vande Bharat Sleeper services, with overnight timings. The announcement does not confirm regular bookings have opened.
The story in brief
The October 30 release gives departures from Varanasi at 20:50, reaching New Delhi at 06:10 the next morning. The return leaves New Delhi at 21:40 and reaches Varanasi at 07:10 the following day.1 The route includes Prayagraj, Kanpur Central, Aligarh and Ghaziabad. Services are planned six days a week, excluding Fridays from Varanasi and Saturdays from New Delhi.1
Context: For passengers planning an overnight journey, the key distinction is between the ceremonial flag-off and a confirmed bookable regular service. The release does not give fares, train numbers or a regular commercial start date.
Who this matters for: Passengers travelling between eastern Uttar Pradesh and Delhi
Sources
- 1New Vande Bharat Sleeper trains connecting Varanasi and New Delhi to be flagged off on31October ↗Government of India / Press Information Bureau · 30 October 2026
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