Overview
- The ceremony is scheduled for around 8:15 am on November 8 at Banaras railway station, covering the Banaras–Khajuraho, Lucknow–Saharanpur, Firozpur–Delhi and Ernakulam–Bengaluru routes.
- Authorities completed multi‑tier security and traffic measures across Varanasi, and police briefings cited checks of gates, metal detectors, dog squads, barricades and designated VVIP routes.
- Banaras–Khajuraho will run as 26422/26421 with eight coaches, departing Varanasi at 5:25 am and arriving Khajuraho at 1:10 pm via Vindhyachal, Prayagraj Chheoki, Chitrakoot Dham, Banda and Mahoba, and returning 3:20 pm–11:00 pm six days a week.
- Officials said the southern service will be flagged off remotely from Varanasi, with inaugural functions livestreamed; published timings show Bengaluru–Ernakulam at 5:10 am–1:50 pm and the return 2:20 pm–11:00 pm.
- Event plans include the Prime Minister interacting with students in coach 7 and meeting the loco pilot; fare and regular booking details for the new services are expected after launch, with media reports counting 164 Vande Bharat services nationwide.