Uttarakhand to Get its First Vande Bharat Train on May 25 | Check Route & Timings

Vande Bharat Express is set to be introduced on the Delhi-Dehradun route, making it the first semi-high speed train of the hill state of Uttarakhand.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the train on May 25.

Vande Bharat to Bypass Saharanpur Station

The train is likely to bypass the Saharanpur station to avoid reversing the train by taking a route via Tapri station. This will save at least 15-20 minutes of travel time, making Vande Bharat the fastest train on the route.

According to sources, the train will complete its journey from Dehradun to Anand Vihar in Delhi in a total of 4 hours and 30 minutes. Currently, the travel time of New Delhi- Dehradun Shatabdi via Saharanpur takes 6 hours and 10 minutes. Jan Shatabdi on the same route, avoiding Saharanpur takes 5 hours and 55 minutes.

Saharanpur station is located on the Y-axis. For a train travelling from Haridwar to Delhi via Saharanpur, it needs to be reversed at Saharanpur before continuing to Delhi. In the case of the Shatabdi train, detaching and reattaching the engine takes around 20 minutes, resulting in a 25-minute stop at Saharanpur.

Although the Vande Bharat Express, being a self-propelled EMU, can operate from either end, it still requires additional time. Therefore, officials have almost finalized a route that avoids the axis and the station.

Delhi-Dehradun Vande Bharat Stops

As per the proposed plan, the train will depart from Dehradun at 7:00 in the morning and arrive at Anand Vihar in Delhi at 11:30. On the return journey, the train is expected to leave Anand Vihar at 17:50 and reach Dehradun at 22:20. During the journey, the train will make stops at Haridwar, Hindon Cabin, Tapri, Meerut, and Ghaziabad.

“The route is almost final, and the train will begin its rake trial from Tuesday, but the timetable will only be notified after approvals. The train is expected to run six days a week, except on Wednesdays,” said a senior rail officer of Northern Railways.

“Stopping at Saharanpur is not a big issue since Tapri is a nearby station, but considering the need to change direction and exchange positions of the pilot and guards, we are planning to avoid it. Bypassing is a good option, and those familiar with the route will understand this very well. However, the final decision will be taken by senior officials,” added the officer.