Indian Railways is set to introduce a new Surat-Udaipur Vande Bharat Express via Asarwa from October 2, replacing the existing Udaipur-Asarwa Vande Bharat service.
The new train is expected to improve direct rail connectivity between Gujarat and Rajasthan, benefiting passengers travelling for tourism, business and other purposes.
The move comes after passenger numbers on the Udaipur-Asarwa route reportedly remained below expectations. Earlier, the Udaipur-Jaipur and Udaipur-Agra Vande Bharat services were also discontinued due to low passenger demand.
Surat-Udaipur Vande Bharat to start on October 2
The new Surat-Udaipur Vande Bharat Express, with proposed train numbers 26903/04, is scheduled to be flagged off from Surat railway station on October 2, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti.
The new Vande Bharat rake has already arrived at Surat railway station and has been moved to the coaching yard for technical inspections, including safety and power supply checks.
The train will cover around 690 km in approximately 7.5 hours and is proposed to operate six days a week. Regular passenger services are expected to begin from October 4.
Major stoppages
The proposed Surat-Udaipur Vande Bharat will halt at Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Maninagar, Asarwa, Himmatnagar, Shamlaji Road, Dungarpur and Zawar.
With direct connectivity between Surat, Ahmedabad and other major Gujarat stations and Udaipur, the new service is expected to provide an additional travel option between Gujarat and southern Rajasthan while strengthening tourism, trade and passenger movement between the two states.