Kashi-Delhi Vande Bharat Sleeper Train Launched: PM Modi Hails Historic Day for Rail Passengers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed the launch of the Kashi-Delhi Vande Bharat Sleeper train on 31 October 2026, calling it a historic day for rail passengers travelling between Delhi and Kashi. In a message shared on social media, the Prime Minister said the new service would not only save time but also improve the travel experience, with modern amenities and an advanced safety system.

The Kashi-Delhi service is the country’s second Vande Bharat Sleeper train. It runs overnight between Varanasi and New Delhi, connecting the holy city of Kashi with the national capital. The train was flagged off at Banaras station by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, marking a major step in the modernisation of overnight rail travel in India.

The 16-coach air-conditioned train offers three classes of accommodation — Third AC, Second AC and First AC — and covers a distance of about 760 kilometres in around nine and a half hours. It runs via Prayagraj, Kanpur Central, Aligarh and Ghaziabad, serving pilgrims, tourists, students, young professionals and traders who travel regularly on this busy corridor.

The service will operate six days a week, with no departure from Varanasi on Fridays and no departure from New Delhi on Saturdays. As an overnight train, it allows passengers to board in the evening and reach their destination the next morning, making it a practical option for devotees visiting Kashi Vishwanath, travellers heading to the Sangam at Prayagraj, and business passengers travelling to the capital.

The launch carries special significance because the Varanasi-Delhi corridor was also the route of India’s first Vande Bharat Express, inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi in February 2019. With the sleeper version now added, the corridor gains a dedicated overnight service that combines speed, comfort and safety, and the Prime Minister said it would connect faith with opportunity and tradition with modernity.