Railway Extends Two Key Gujarat Trains to Vadnagar and Vaishno Devi Katra
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Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Gujarat's rail connectivity is set for a major boost after the Railway Board approved extending two prominent passenger routes to Vadnagar and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra.
Under the fresh directives, the Lokshakti Express will now run up to Vadnagar instead of terminating at Ahmedabad, while the Sabarmati-Jammu Tawi Express will extend its run straight to SMVD Katra, catering to pilgrims and long-distance travellers from the state.
Railway authorities confirmed that the newly extended services will launch as soon as operational and scheduling formalities are complete, with primary maintenance for both trains stationed at Sabarmati.
Extended Schedules and New Commercial Halts
The expansion introduces crucial stops along both corridors, expanding rail access for regional passengers in northern Gujarat and pilgrims headed to Jammu and Kashmir.
- Lokshakti Express (22927): Departs Bandra Terminus at 7.40 pm, halts at Ahmedabad from 4.20 am to 4.30 am, and reaches Vadnagar at 6.40 am.
- Vadnagar Return (22928): Leaves Vadnagar at 6.20 pm, reaches Ahmedabad at 8.35 pm, halts for 10 minutes, and departs for Bandra Terminus at 8.45 pm.
- Sabarmati-Jammu Tawi Express (19223): Departs Sabarmati at 10.25 am, arrives at Jammu Tawi at 3.30 pm, and reaches SMVD Katra at 6.55 pm.
- Katra Return (19224): Leaves SMVD Katra at 4.50 am and reaches Sabarmati at 2.05 pm.
- New Stoppages: Train services will now include commercial halts at Mehsana for the Vadnagar route and Udhampur for the Katra route.
Flexible Rollout for Operations
The circular issued by the Railway Board allows officials to initially run the Lokshakti Express extension as a special train service before integrating it fully into the regular timetable.
Meanwhile, the extension of the Sabarmati-Jammu Tawi Express up to SMVD Katra can be implemented from the Advance Reservation Period (ARP). Both routes aim to significantly ease travel requirements across Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Vadnagar, and Katra once the services commence.
