Vande Bharat Train: Good news for train passengers. This year, devotees will also travel aboard the Vande Bharat Express to bathe in the Sangam during the Magh Mela, the world’s largest religious festival. The railways have taken a major decision for the convenience of passengers.
From January 13th to January 25th, the Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express via Prayagraj will depart directly from Phaphamau Railway Station instead of Prayagraj Junction. This will provide significant relief to passengers on the Lucknow, Ayodhya, and Gorakhpur routes.
The most significant feature is that Phaphamau station is now directly connected to the Ganga Path route. This means that devotees returning from a holy dip or a visit to the Sangam can take the Ganga Path directly to the station’s western gate. From there, they can board the Vande Bharat Express in just a few steps and head home. No traffic jams, no hassles at a crowded junction.
The new timings of the train will be as follows:
It will leave Gorakhpur at 6:05 am and reach Phaphamau at 12:55 pm.
On return, it will leave from Phaphamau at 3:35 pm and reach Gorakhpur at 10.40 pm.
This means that passengers departing from Gorakhpur or other stations along the route in the morning will be able to reach the Sangam by noon, bathe, take darshan, and return home by the afternoon train. The darshan and return will take place in a single day, all in the comfortable seats of the semi-high-speed Vande Bharat Express.
Phaphamau station is being temporarily designated as a stop for the Vande Bharat Express during the fair, as it is located just a few kilometers from the fair area and is directly connected to the Ganga Path. This will also reduce the burden on Prayagraj Junction, eliminating the need for pilgrims to change buses or autos for long distances. A senior railway official said, “We noticed that the largest number of passengers come to the Magh Mela from the Purvanchal and Awadh regions. Due to the crowds at the junction, people often couldn’t reach Vande Bharat on time even after getting a seat. Running from Phaphamau will make travel easier.”
This news has brought joy to devotees. Rampravesh Yadav, a passenger from Gorakhpur, said, “Earlier, we had to go to the junction, where we were troubled by the crowds and traffic. Now, we can get a train directly from Sangam. Lord Ram and Mother Ganga have blessed us together.” CPRO Shashikant Tripathi said that this new change is very important for crowd management.
