24-Coach Vande Bharat to Run Soon in India; Railway Board Seeks Report

Varanasi: Preparations are underway to introduce a 24-coach Vande Bharat Express in India. The Railway Board has asked for a detailed report on whether the Varanasi–New Delhi Vande Bharat Express can be operated with 24 coaches instead of its current configuration.

At present, the train runs with two executive chair cars and 14 AC chair cars, making a total of 16 coaches. If approved, it would become the first 24-coach Vande Bharat train in the country.

For this purpose, the Lucknow Division has sought reports from its Operations, Commercial, and Technical departments. If all departments approve the proposal, a recommendation will be sent to the Railway Board.

The Varanasi–New Delhi Vande Bharat Express was India's first Vande Bharat train, inaugurated on 15 February 2019. It began commercial service on 17 February 2019 with 16 coaches.

According to railway officials, passenger demand on this route has continued to increase. Because of the consistently high occupancy, there has long been a demand to increase the number of coaches. The proposal is now under review, and if found technically feasible, the train may be expanded to 24 coaches, increasing seating capacity and accommodating more passengers.