Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on July 7, along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, flagged off the Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express. The semi-high train is the second Vande Bharat Express in the state of Uttar Pradesh, and 25th in India overall. The mini version of the Vande Bharat Express with only 8 coaches as against 16 coaches will connect Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh to Gorakhpur, the former Lok Sabha constituency of CM Yogi. On its way, the train will take a halt at the Ayodhya Railway Station, which holds a religious significance for Hindus.


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Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram is a popular religious site for Hindu pilgrims and is near Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh. With the construction of the massive Maryada Purshottam Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the inflow of visitors will increase. While it's easy to reach Lucknow via train or flight, the journey from Lucknow to Ayodhya will now be eased with the new Vande Bharat Express. Here's a look at the details of the Ayodhya-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express train.


Ayodhya-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express: Timing


The Ayodhya-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express is part of the Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat route, which was flagged off by PM Modi and will run six days a week, barring Saturdays. It will run on Monday to Friday and Sunday and as per the IRCTC schedule, the Vande Bharat Express will start from Ayodhya at 8.15 AM and reach Lucknow station at 10:20 AM. The train originally departs from Gorakhpur junction at 6.05 AM and will have a 2 min halt in Ayodhya.


During the return journey, the Vande Bharat Express starting from Lucknow will depart at 19:15 PM and reach Ayodhya City at 21.13 PM. Here the train will take a halt of around 2 min and will reach Gorakhpur Junction at 23:25 PM. 


Ayodhya-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express: Route


The Ayodhya-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express is a non-stop service between the two cities. The 2 hour journey in the semi-high speed train will begin from Gorakhpur junction following a stop in Basti and later Ayodhya City. From there, it's a non-stop journey to Lucknow. On its way back, the train will start from Lucknow and directly reach Ayodhya station.


Ayodhya-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express: Fare


While the Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express was inaugurated by PM Modi on June 7, 2023, the regular services will start from June 9, 2023. The Indian Railways has already started accepting bookings for the train, to be run by the North Eastern Railway. The train will include seven chair cars and one executive-class coach and will accommodate 556 people.


The base fare for the chair car is Rs 610 while a seat on the executive class will cost Rs 1,210 per passenger for the journey from Lucknow to Ayodhya. The passengers will be provided with meals, snacks and tea by the IRCTC. The chair car fare remains the same on the Ayodhya-Lucknow route, while is Rs 100 cheaper in the Excutive class, at Rs 1,110.