Whether it’s a festival or a special event, securing a confirmed train ticket for those traveling to Bihar is often challenging. It’s a common experience that certain routes in Bihar regularly face ticket shortages. This frequently leads to situations where tickets are unavailable. Even with the new regulations, getting a ticket off the waiting list is difficult. In response, the Railway Ministry has announced the operation of several new trains, claiming this will ease travel for those going to Bihar.
The Railway Ministry suggests these measures will provide considerable relief to the general public. However, there are political implications to these actions. Over the past few months, the Railways has unveiled many new train services. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary launched seven trains from Patna Junction railway station on Monday, September 29th, including three Amrit Bharat Express trains. In addition, a Namo Bharat and more than a dozen Vande Bharat trains are also operational in Bihar.
Why the Sudden Focus on Bihar?
Earlier this year, the Railway Ministry approved a plan to run 12,000 trains for Chhath and Diwali. Considering the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar after Chhath, the question arises whether these new train announcements are driven by electoral considerations.
Amrit Bharat Trains in Bihar
Although Amrit Bharat trains were recently introduced nationwide, Bihar has benefited the most. The Amrit Bharat Express, recognized as a popular choice for the middle class and general public, currently has 12 services running across the country, with 10 trains originating from Bihar. With the launch of three more Amrit Bharat Express trains, the total number of these trains will increase to 15, with 13 operating from Bihar.
Routes for New Trains
Recognizing the public’s need for rail services, Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated passenger trains for Patna-Buxar, Jhajha-Danapur, Patna-Islamabad, and Sheikhpura-Barbigaha via Nawada. The Patna-Islamabad passenger and Nawada-Patna passenger trains will operate on the new Jat Dumri-Fazilchak-Topsarathua-Daniawan line, making train services accessible to residents in this area.
Additional Amrit Bharat Trains
Ashwini Vaishnaw has introduced three Amrit Bharat Express trains for the people of Bihar: one from Muzaffarpur to Chrlapalli near Hyderabad, another from Darbhanga to Madar Junction near Ajmer, and a third from Chhapra to Anand Vihar Terminal. The Muzaffarpur to Chrlapalli Amrit Bharat Express will be the first Amrit Bharat train from Muzaffarpur to South India, and the Chhapra-Anand Vihar Amrit Bharat Express will be the sixth Amrit Bharat train from Bihar to Delhi.
* Train No. 15293/15294 Muzaffarpur-Chrlapalli-Muzaffarpur Amrit Bharat Express (Weekly) – This express will serve stations including Hajipur, Patliputra, Ara, Buxar, DDU, Prayagraj Chheoki, Jabalpur, Itarsi, Nagpur, and Kazipet.
* Train No. 19623/19624 Madar-Darbhanga-Madar Amrit Bharat Express (Weekly) – This express will operate via Kamtaul, Sitamarhi, Raxaul, Narkatiaganj, Gorakhpur, Gomti Nagar, Kanpur, Tundla, and Jaipur.
* Train No. 15133/15134 Chhapra-Anand Vihar-Chhapra Amrit Bharat Express (Twice a Week) – This express will run via Siwan, Thawe, Kaptanganj, Gorakhpur, Basti, Gonda, Aishbagh (Lucknow), and Kanpur.
* Train No. 75271/75272 Nawada-Patna-Nawada DEMU Passenger – This passenger train will operate six days a week, excluding Sundays, via Sheikhpura, Barbigaha, Asthawan, Bihar Sharif, Nursaray, Daniawan, Topsarathua, Fazilchak, Jatdumri, and Punpun.
* Train No. 75273/75274 Islampur-Patna-Islampur DEMU Passenger – This passenger train will operate six days a week, excluding Sundays, via Punpun, Jatdumri, Fazilchak, Topsarathua, Daniawan, and Hilsa.
* Train No. 53201/53202 Patna-Buxar-Patna Fast Passenger – This passenger train will operate six days a week, excluding Sundays, via Danapur and Ara.
* Train No. 53203/53204 Jhajha-Danapur-Jhajha Fast Passenger – This passenger train will operate six days a week, excluding Sundays, via Jamui, Kiul, Mokama, Bakhtiyarpur, and Fatuha.
These Other 15 Express Trains
* Darbhanga-Anand Vihar Terminal Amrit Bharat Express
* Saharsa-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Amrit Bharat Express
* Rajendranagar Terminal-New Delhi Amrit Bharat Express
* Bapudham Motihari-Anand Vihar Terminal Amrit Bharat Express
* Darbhanga-Gomti Nagar Amrit Bharat Express
* Malda Town-Gomti Nagar Amrit Bharat Express
* Sitamarhi-Delhi Amrit Bharat Express
* Gaya-Delhi Amrit Bharat Express
* Jogbani-Erode-Jogbani Amrit Bharat Express
* Saharsa-Chheharta (Amritsar)-Saharsa Amrit Bharat Express
* Malda Town-Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal Bengaluru Amrit Bharat Express
* Brahmapur-Udhna (Surat) Amrit Bharat Express
* Muzaffarpur-Chrlapalli Amrit Bharat Express (Starting September 29)
* Chhapra-Delhi (Anand Vihar Terminal) Amrit Bharat Express (Starting September 29)
* Darbhanga-Madar (Ajmer) Amrit Bharat Express (Starting September 29)