New Delhi: The Ministry of Railways has approved the introduction of a new Vande Bharat Express service between Udaipur City and Asarva (Ahmedabad), according to an official communication issued by the Railway Board. The decision aims to strengthen high-speed rail connectivity between southern Rajasthan and Gujarat while rationalising existing Vande Bharat operations in the region. However, the official date of commencement and launch has yet to be announced by the Railways.

The nod for the new train service was confirmed by Udaipur MP Manna Lal Rawat, who thanked the Railway Minister for approving the train. He also demanded that the service be extended to Gujarat’s second-largest city, Surat.

Timings and stoppages

The newly approved train pair, 26963/26964 Udaipur–Asarva (Ahmedabad) Vande Bharat Express, will operate six days a week, except Tuesday. Primary maintenance will be carried out at Udaipur, with deployment of one Vande Bharat rake.

Udaipur → Asarva (Train No. 26963)

Asarva → Udaipur (Train No. 26964)

The train will have commercial stoppages at Zawar, Dungarpur, and Himmatnagar, improving semi-high-speed connectivity for passengers across tribal and semi-urban regions of Rajasthan and northern Gujarat.

Discontinuation of existing services

Alongside the new approval, the Railway Board has ordered the discontinuation of two existing Vande Bharat services:

20979/20980 Udaipur–Jaipur Vande Bharat Express
20981/20982 Udaipur–Agra Cantt. Vande Bharat Express

This operational restructuring is expected to optimise rake utilisation and better align services with passenger demand patterns across the region.

Implementation and launch

Railway authorities have been instructed to implement both the introduction of the new service and the discontinuation of the existing trains from the advance reservation period. If required, the inaugural run may be operated as a special train before being integrated into the regular timetable. Officials have also been directed to ensure wide publicity and immediate compliance, treating the matter as most urgent.

The move is seen as part of Indian Railways’ broader push to expand the Vande Bharat network and enhance fast, comfortable intercity travel across western India. DeshGujarat