Patna: The Indian Railways is chalking out modalities to run a Vande Bharat express between Patna and Deoghar in Jharkhand. It will run via Bhagalpur and Sultanganj.
According to a senior officer of the east central railway (ECR) zone, Hajipur, the train has been proposed in keeping with passengers’ demand to bring the two cities under direct and fast connect and also encourage tourists, who visit Bihar, to go to the religious town of Baidyanath Dham.
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“The schedule, stoppages and route of this train is being prepared especially keeping in mind the convenience of the devotees going to Deoghar. This train will run via Bhagalpur and the devotees who go to Deoghar to worship will not only be able to travel to Deoghar by filling Gangajal in Sultanganj, but will also be able to return by this train after performing the puja,” said a senior officer of Bhagalpur district administration.
It is learnt that the ECR officials are in touch with the Bhagalpur district magistrate to plan the operation and strengthen the local infrastructure required to run the premium train on the route.
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Vande Bharat to halt 30 mins at Sultanganj station
At the inaugural ceremony of Vikramshila Mahotsav, Bhagalpur DM Nawal Kishor Chaudhary said that preparations to launch Patna-Deoghar Vande Bharat express are going on. A proposal has been sent to the Ministry of Railways, Malda Division and Tourism Department of Bihar Government. The DM said that this Vande Bharat train will leave from Patna in the morning and the halt of this train at Sultanganj will be for 30 minutes. The purpose of giving half an hour stoppage at Sultanganj is meant to offer the devotees the necessary time to take Gangaajal to worship the Lord Shiva at Deoghar.
The train will return Patna the same day
After stopping at Sultanganj, the train will leave for Deoghar via Bhagalpur. This train will return to Deoghar again after three hours. That would provide the devotees, coming from Sultanganj, to return by the same train after performing puja at Baba Baidyanath temple in Deoghar within three hours. Any passenger leaving from Patna in the morning will come to Deoghar on the same day and perform puja and return to Patna on the same day by the same train.
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Issues in building a yard in Sultanganj
Officials said that the railways is facing problems in setting up a yard at Sultanganj, where the train will stop for a long period. Currently, there is no yard in Sultanganj. The train required shunting in the yard to avoid disruption in movement of other trains.
It will be 2nd Vande Bharat via Bhagalpur
Once the new train is launched, it will be the second Vande Bharat express passing through Bhagalpur. Currently, a Vande Bharat train is shuttling between Bhagalpur and Howrah. Patna is the origin point of three Vande Bharat trains to Ranchi, Howrah and Tatanagar.
