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Patliputra–Gorakhpur Vande Bharat Express inaugurated; other Vande Bharat trains launched this year

Patliputra–Gorakhpur Vande Bharat Express inaugurated; other Vande Bharat trains launched this year

Time of India6 hours ago

In a bid to boost connectivity between Patna and Gorakhpur, another Vande Bharat train was launched yesterday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Patliputra–Gorakhpur Vande Bharat Express was inaugurated by video conferencing from Siwan, Bihar.
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This semi-high-speed train aims to enhance connectivity between the two prime cities in North India. The train is set to reduce travel time between the cities significantly on the 384 km route.
Train Details:
Train Numbers
: 26502 (Gorakhpur to Patliputra), 26501 (Patliputra to Gorakhpur)
Frequency
: Operates six days a week (no service on Saturdays)
Journey Time
: Approximately 7 hours
Coaches
: 8-coach configuration with a seating capacity of 1,130
Classes
: Executive Chair Car (EC) and Chair Car (CC)
Fares
: EC fares range from ₹715 to ₹1,820; CC fares range from ₹380 to ₹925, depending on the segment .
Halts
The train will go through major cities and halt at several stations including Gorakhpur, Bagaha, Narkatiaganj, Bettiah, Sagauli, Bapudham Motihari, Muzaffarpur, Hajipur, and Patliputra. Notably, the train halts at Bagaha, a station that was added following efforts by local MP Sunil Kumar .
Amenities
The Vande Bharat Express is equipped with modern amenities such as:
Fully air-conditioned coaches
Rotatable airline-style seats
Onboard Wi-Fi and infotainment systems
Bio-toilets and CCTV surveillance
KAVACH anti-collision system
Overhead baggage racks and tray tables
Strategic Importance
This new service is expected to enhance regional mobility, benefiting daily commuters, students, and business travelers.
It also aligns with the government's "Make in India" initiative, showcasing India's capabilities in advanced railway manufacturing.
On this note, let's have a look at some of the major Vande Bharat Trains introduced in 2025:
In addition to the Patliputra–Gorakhpur Vande Bharat Express, several other Vande Bharat trains were launched in 2025:
Sabarmati (Ahmedabad) – Veraval Vande Bharat Express:
Route: Connects Ahmedabad with Veraval in Gujarat
Journey Time: Approximately 7 hours
Frequency: Six days a week (except Thursdays)
Amenities: Similar to other Vande Bharat trains, including onboard catering and infotainment systems .
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Meerut City–Lucknow Charbagh Vande Bharat Express:
Route: Connects Meerut City with Lucknow Charbagh in Uttar Pradesh
Journey Time: Approximately 7 hours 10 minutes
Frequency: Six days a week (except Tuesdays)
Amenities: Onboard catering and entertainment systems .
These additions are part of India's broader efforts to modernize its railway infrastructure and provide efficient, comfortable travel options for passengers across the country.

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Patliputra–Gorakhpur Vande Bharat Express inaugurated; other Vande Bharat trains launched this year
Patliputra–Gorakhpur Vande Bharat Express inaugurated; other Vande Bharat trains launched this year

Time of India

time6 hours ago

  • Time of India

Patliputra–Gorakhpur Vande Bharat Express inaugurated; other Vande Bharat trains launched this year

In a bid to boost connectivity between Patna and Gorakhpur, another Vande Bharat train was launched yesterday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Patliputra–Gorakhpur Vande Bharat Express was inaugurated by video conferencing from Siwan, Bihar. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This semi-high-speed train aims to enhance connectivity between the two prime cities in North India. The train is set to reduce travel time between the cities significantly on the 384 km route. Train Details: Train Numbers : 26502 (Gorakhpur to Patliputra), 26501 (Patliputra to Gorakhpur) Frequency : Operates six days a week (no service on Saturdays) Journey Time : Approximately 7 hours Coaches : 8-coach configuration with a seating capacity of 1,130 Classes : Executive Chair Car (EC) and Chair Car (CC) Fares : EC fares range from ₹715 to ₹1,820; CC fares range from ₹380 to ₹925, depending on the segment . Halts The train will go through major cities and halt at several stations including Gorakhpur, Bagaha, Narkatiaganj, Bettiah, Sagauli, Bapudham Motihari, Muzaffarpur, Hajipur, and Patliputra. Notably, the train halts at Bagaha, a station that was added following efforts by local MP Sunil Kumar . Amenities The Vande Bharat Express is equipped with modern amenities such as: Fully air-conditioned coaches Rotatable airline-style seats Onboard Wi-Fi and infotainment systems Bio-toilets and CCTV surveillance KAVACH anti-collision system Overhead baggage racks and tray tables Strategic Importance This new service is expected to enhance regional mobility, benefiting daily commuters, students, and business travelers. It also aligns with the government's "Make in India" initiative, showcasing India's capabilities in advanced railway manufacturing. On this note, let's have a look at some of the major Vande Bharat Trains introduced in 2025: In addition to the Patliputra–Gorakhpur Vande Bharat Express, several other Vande Bharat trains were launched in 2025: Sabarmati (Ahmedabad) – Veraval Vande Bharat Express: Route: Connects Ahmedabad with Veraval in Gujarat Journey Time: Approximately 7 hours Frequency: Six days a week (except Thursdays) Amenities: Similar to other Vande Bharat trains, including onboard catering and infotainment systems . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Meerut City–Lucknow Charbagh Vande Bharat Express: Route: Connects Meerut City with Lucknow Charbagh in Uttar Pradesh Journey Time: Approximately 7 hours 10 minutes Frequency: Six days a week (except Tuesdays) Amenities: Onboard catering and entertainment systems . These additions are part of India's broader efforts to modernize its railway infrastructure and provide efficient, comfortable travel options for passengers across the country.

Spotting Purvanchal of 1800s in the Caribbean
Spotting Purvanchal of 1800s in the Caribbean

Hindustan Times

time6 hours ago

  • Hindustan Times

Spotting Purvanchal of 1800s in the Caribbean

It is 2022. I am in the queue at the immigration section in Mumbai airport, holding my passport with a crisp boarding-pass neatly tucked in it. Even though I have made many such trips, the act of playing it cool stays like a muscle memory. I have a fellow traveller who got his passport made especially for this trip. So, he is a bit nervous. Two counters are vacant, and we occupy these. The immigration officer looks like a strict 1990s dad about to check your report card. I throw in a bit of English to assure the officer I haven't sold my ancestral land to fund this trip and never return. The drama is at the other counter. Cricketer Nicholas Pooran, on being asked if he wishes to some day return to his ancestral land to search for his roots, didn't seem very interested. (AFP) 'So, where are you traveling?' the officer asks my friend, even though the boarding pass mentions the destination. 'Sir, West Indies' 'What? There is no country like that' My friend panics. I pitch in, 'Sir, Trinidad & Tobago, that's where we are going'. I say this with a broad smile. The immigration officer isn't amused. I sound like a trafficker. 'Sir, we are going to cover the India vs West Indies series. Check the letter of invitation from the West Indian cricket board,' I build our case further. The familiar palm-tree-on-an-island logo of West Indies on the letterhead finally assuages him. After sufficient inquiry, he stamps the passport. The mechanical sound of the stamp is the sound of success. The year is 1845. The imperial world has just abolished slavery, so there is a huge shortage of workers at the sugarcane plantations. All the tropical islands in the Commonwealth need more hands, including Trinidad & Tobago. So, the colonisers dangle a work agreement to people in British India, especially the Purvanchal region. 'Agreement' gets colloquialised into girmit and the people who sign it are now girmitiyas – mostly outcasts, widowers, landless, and, in general, with not much to lose. After a basic health check, they are bundled into a ship at the Calcutta port. After a 90-day journey via the Cape of Good Hope, they land at Port of Spain, Trinidad's capital. A British clerk asks their names. A guy named Shravan answers in a Maghai accent, 'Sarwan'. The clerk promptly records the phonetic spelling in English. Shravan's descendants bear the mis-spelled last name for generations, one of them being the cricketer Ramnaresh Sarwan. That's how a Shiv Narayan becomes Sivnarine, a Devi Prasad is a Davy Persaud, and so on. There are no last names. They left caste behind in India. The labourers tried to create a caste system in Trinidad, but due to the sheer shortage of women and a lot of inter-marriage, it died out pretty soon. Their religion, music and cuisine did not. And that's how I could have chhole bhature outside the Brian Charles Lara Cricket stadium in Port of Spain. They call it 'double' because, back in the day, they served two bhaturas with chana sandwiched in the middle. I was in Port of Spain with influencers and journalists from India to cover the India versus West Indies cricket series, staying at the same hotel as the players. Such proximity is always fun. At one point, I helped Arshdeep Singh pick the right ingredients for his omelette at the breakfast buffet. And even searched for the right dal tadka with Hardik Pandya. But these are trivial pursuits one can even chance upon in a hotel in Mumbai; hence, being a purvanchali, I was fascinated more by the history of this unique place. For me, it felt like finding the Uttar Pradesh/Bihar of the 1800s preserved in the West Indies. Thankfully, the locals emigrated before the invention of gutka, hence the roads and walls are spotlessly clean. Imagine the Bihar of the 19th century, sans the caste system, paan masala, poor civic sense, but all the amazing food, the music, the sweet dialect, and devotion to their gods. Everyone's great-grandfather was an indentured labourer, everyone started from scratch, with no systemic inequalities, no caste privilege. One can only dream of such utopia. I asked the cricketer Nicholas Pooran if he wishes to some day return to his ancestral land, to search for his roots. He didn't seem very interested. I don't blame him. Notably, the African-Americans celebrate the Day of Emancipation, the day when they were freed from slavery, but the Indo-Carribeans celebrate the Day of Arrival, the day they landed in the country. I asked a bunch of people in a queue at the stadium entrance, who looked of Indian-origin, with a bit of sarcasm, 'So, which team do you support?' They looked at me with some distaste and revealed the maroon jersey. This is the place their grandparents were born, who spoke Creole, not Bhojpuri. For them, I was the village cousin. They were curious to know more about me, but that's about it. They aren't coming back to investigate their roots. That ship, as they say, has sailed. Abhishek Asthana is a tech and media entrepreneur and tweets as @gabbbarsingh. The views expressed are personal.

Agriculture self-reliance: Govt says oilseeds and pulses output growing faster; MPs raise alarm over costly edible oil imports
Agriculture self-reliance: Govt says oilseeds and pulses output growing faster; MPs raise alarm over costly edible oil imports

Time of India

time8 hours ago

  • Time of India

Agriculture self-reliance: Govt says oilseeds and pulses output growing faster; MPs raise alarm over costly edible oil imports

The government has told a parliamentary committee that domestic production of pulses and edible oils has risen at a greater pace in the last 10 years compared to the previous decade, even as several MPs voiced concern over the country's continued dependence on imports to meet demand. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In a presentation to the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing, the agriculture ministry said imports accounted for 15.66 million metric tonnes (MMT), or 56 per cent, of the total domestic demand for edible oils in 2023-24. Sources said the ministry, during the committee meeting held on June 20, emphasised the ongoing efforts to achieve self-sufficiency, PTI reported. It noted that oilseeds production rose by 55 per cent between 2014-15 and 2024-25, with the third advance estimate pegging production at 426.09 lakh tonnes in the last fiscal. In contrast, the growth in oilseeds output was only 13 per cent in the 2004-05 to 2014-15 period. MPs also expressed concerns over public health, particularly in connection with India's high dependence on imported palm oil, which is relatively cheaper. Some members flagged possible health hazards associated with palm oil consumption. The ministry said the country's dependence on edible oil imports is costing more than Rs 80,000 crore annually. Based on the data presented for 2023-24, India's domestic production was adequate to meet the demand for mustard and groundnut oils. However, the country had to import 3.49 MMT of sunflower oil against a domestic consumption of 3.55 MMT and imported more than 60 per cent of its soybean oil needs. On pulses, the ministry said their production rose by 47 per cent between 2014-15 and 2024-25—a period when the BJP-led NDA was in power—compared to a 31 per cent increase in the decade before, under the Congress-led UPA government. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Some MPs suggested incentivising farmers who traditionally grow paddy and wheat to shift towards pulses and oilseeds. The ministry also elaborated on the government's roadmap to achieve 'aatmanirbharta' or self-reliance in pulses and oilseeds by 2030-31. These plans were detailed in the Union Budget earlier this year. Among the challenges flagged by the ministry was that 75 per cent of pulse crops are rainfed and grown on marginal lands with low fertility by small and marginal farmers. The sources added that the presentation also covered the government's national campaign to promote 'optimal utilization of edible oils and its health benefits' in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for a 10 per cent reduction in their intake to boost overall fitness.

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