Overview
- The Prime Minister will inaugurate services on the Banaras–Khajuraho, Lucknow–Saharanpur, Firozpur–Delhi, and Ernakulam–Bengaluru routes, with three flagged off virtually from Varanasi.
- For Banaras–Khajuraho, train nos. 26422/26421 will cover 443 km in about 7 hours 40 minutes with eight coaches, running six days a week.
- Scheduled timings for the Banaras–Khajuraho service are 5:25 am–1:10 pm outward and 3:20 pm–11:00 pm return, with halts at Vindhyachal, Prayagraj Chheoki, Chitrakoot Dham, Banda, and Mahoba.
- Officials say the Banaras–Khajuraho link will save roughly 2 hours 40 minutes versus current options, while the other routes also trim journey times, including 6:40 hrs for Firozpur–Delhi and about 8:40 hrs for Ernakulam–Bengaluru.
- Varanasi station has been readied with beautification, crowd management and tight security; the Prime Minister arrives Nov. 7, with the start date for regular commercial runs to be announced.