Overview
- The new services run on Banaras–Khajuraho, Lucknow–Saharanpur, Firozpur–Delhi and Ernakulam–Bengaluru corridors.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Banaras–Khajuraho train in person from Banaras station and launched the other three virtually.
- Reported timings include a saving of about 2 hours 40 minutes on Banaras–Khajuraho, roughly 1 hour on Lucknow–Saharanpur, 6 hours 40 minutes end‑to‑end on Firozpur–Delhi and 8 hours 40 minutes on Ernakulam–Bengaluru with more than 2 hours saved.
- The Firozpur–Delhi service is the fastest on its route and brings Vande Bharat connectivity to Punjab’s Malwa region.
- Southern Railway said the Ernakulam–Bengaluru train is Kerala’s third Vande Bharat and the first inter‑state semi‑high‑speed premium link for Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, as officials updated the national tally to more than 160 services with some citing 164.