New Jalpaiguri-Patna Vande Bharat Express: Know its timings, fare, route and other details

New Delhi: In 1853, the British Raj introduced the first passenger train in India. Since then, the technology of the trains, like in other sectors, has evolved manifold. While India gained Independence years ago in 1947, the railways remain the lasting legacy of the colonisers, although they brought about the trains in the country primarily for their benefit.

Train plays a very crucial role in a vast country like India when it comes to travelling from one place to another. Thanks to the trains, the common people can easily travel from one place to another at a moderate price, making railways arguably the most popular public transport system in the world. Even some 10 years back, the Rajdhani Express and the Shatabdi Express were among the most premier trains in the country, which missed a truly modern train on the tracks. It changed on February 15, 2019, with the introduction of the Vande Bharat Express.

It was developed as part of the 'Make in India' initiative, and it has greatly benefited common people by bringing down travel time. Also, the Indian Railways is launching the Vande Bharat Express' sleeper version. A Vande Bharat Express train may have eight, 16 or 20 coaches, and is manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai. The train's maximum speed is 180 km per hour, and the maximum operational speed is 160 km per hour.

The train number of the New Jalpaiguri-Patna Vande Bharat Express is 22233/22234. It is the 43rd Vande Bharat Express train in India, and it connects Siliguri, a city in the foothills of the Himalayas in West Bengal, with Patna, the capital of Bihar. On March 12, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated this express train via video conferencing from Ahmedabad. The Indian Railways operates the train, and its stations are New Jalpaiguri Junction, Katihar, Kishanganj, Khagaria, Naugachia, Begusarai, Patna Sahib and Patna Junction.

The New Jalpaiguri-Patna Vande Bharat Express is the 41st 2nd Generation and 27th Mini Vande Bharat 2.0 Express train. The Integral Coach Factory at Perambur in Chennai designed and manufactured it under the Make in India Initiative.

The New Jalpaiguri-Patna Vande Bharat Express operates 6 days a week. It departs New Jalpaiguri Junction at 5:15 am and reaches Patna at 12:10 pm.

The New Jalpaiguri-Patna Vande Bharat Express covers a 471 km distance in 6 hrs and 55 minutes. The average speed of the train is 68 km per hour, and the Maximum Permissible Speed (MPS) is 130 km per hour between Tall Junction and Patna Saheb.

The price of the New Jalpaiguri-Patna Vande Bharat Express AC Chair Car is Rs 1,023. The price of the Executive Class of the train is Rs 2,055, making it somewhat affordable for the common people.