Vande Bharat Express: Not only are the summer special trains starting from Gorakhpur, the base of the North Eastern Railway, running empty, but the semi-high-speed Vande Bharat Express train is also facing the same issue. Passengers attribute this to high ticket prices, direct connections from Gorakhpur to Lucknow via other trains and roadways, or a lack of reliability in schedules.
Even during the wedding and tourism seasons, the Gorakhpur-Ayodhya-Lucknow-Prayagraj Vande Bharat train is not reaching full capacity. Although passengers board from Gorakhpur, the numbers drop significantly on the return trip. In contrast, other regular trains are seeing a rush for confirmed and waitlisted tickets, while 25 to 30 percent of the seats on the 22549 Vande Bharat Express from Gorakhpur to Prayagraj remain unoccupied.
On the 22550 Vande Bharat Express from Prayagraj to Gorakhpur, 35 to 40 percent of the seats are still available. During July, August, and September, this figure can rise to 50 to 60 percent. This well-equipped 16-coach Vande Bharat Express is still waiting for passengers.
The Vande Bharat train has a total of 1,125 seats, yet not all of them are occupied. In contrast, other regular trains operating from Gorakhpur to Lucknow and Delhi are experiencing a hectic demand for waitlisted tickets, with people eager for confirmed reservations.
In fact, the Railway Board extended the Gorakhpur-Ayodhya-Lucknow Vande Bharat train service to Prayagraj to boost passenger numbers. However, even after this extension, the anticipated increase in passengers did not materialize. Currently, fewer than 1,000 passengers are boarding the train. On May 11th, 794 individuals traveled on the Vande Bharat train to Prayagraj, while 616 boarded the Gorakhpur train. In a week, only 64 to 65 percent of the seats on the Vande Bharat train from Prayagraj were occupied, while the Prayagraj-bound train saw only 71 to 72 percent of its seats filled.
On May 8th, more than 1,000 passengers traveled on the Vande Bharat train from Gorakhpur, while the number of passengers remained around 500 on other days of the week. Passenger numbers will decrease further after June. On July 7th, 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the first Vande Bharat train from Gorakhpur Junction. In the coming days, only Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat trains are scheduled to operate.
Gorakhpur-Pataliputra Vande Bharat train running full
While the Gorakhpur-Prayagraj Vande Bharat trains are running empty, the Gorakhpur-Patliputra Vande Bharat train number 26501/02 is running full. Waitlisted tickets are often available. In one week, 95 percent of the train’s seats were occupied.
The Vande Bharat train from Gorakhpur to Patliputra carried 541 passengers on May 11th and 558 on May 10th. This eight-coach train has 523 seats. Between Gorakhpur and Bettiah and Muzaffarpur, the train runs full. Vande Bharat is providing better connectivity for the people of Bettiah and Muzaffarpur who travel to Gorakhpur from all corners of the country.