Somnath, Dwarka to get direct rail connectivity to Haridwar; Indian Railways OKays two new AC trains

New Delhi: Devotees travelling from Gujarat’s temple towns of Dwarka and Somnath to the holy city of Haridwar in Uttarakhand will soon have the option of travelling on direct AC trains. The Indian Railways has approved two new AC train services connecting Haridwar with Veraval and Okha in Gujarat.

The Railway Board approved the services following a meeting held in New Delhi on July 30, 2026. The decision also includes the extension of the Bandra Terminus–Delhi Sarai Rohilla Garib Rath Express (12216/12215) up to Haridwar.

The new Haridwar–Veraval AC Express (14326/14325) will operate twice a week. Train 14326 will depart from Haridwar at 4 am and reach Veraval at 8:15 am the following day, while train 14325 will leave Veraval at 11:05 am and reach Haridwar at 6 pm the next day.

The service will operate from Haridwar on Wednesdays and Sundays and from Veraval on Thursdays and Mondays. Major commercial stoppages will include Roorkee, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut City, Ghaziabad, Delhi, Rewari, Khairthal, Alwar, Jaipur, Kishangarh, Ajmer, Abu Road, Palanpur, Rajkot, Gondal, Jetalsar and Junagadh, among other stations.

A second new service, the Haridwar–Okha AC Express (14328/14327), will provide a direct rail connection to the Saurashtra region and the Dwarka pilgrimage circuit. It will operate once a week, departing from Haridwar on Fridays and Okha on Saturdays.

The Railway Board has also approved the extension of the 12216/12215 Bandra Terminus–Delhi Sarai Rohilla Garib Rath Express to Haridwar. Under the revised schedule, the train will operate via Delhi, Ghaziabad, Meerut City, Muzaffarnagar and Roorkee on the extended section.

The extended Garib Rath will run from Haridwar on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and from Bandra Terminus on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Its primary maintenance will be carried out at Haridwar.

The new services are expected to improve rail connectivity between Gujarat’s major pilgrimage destinations and northern India, particularly benefiting passengers travelling between Gujarat, Delhi and Haridwar.

Notably, the Veraval service will terminate at Veraval station, which serves as the railhead for Somnath, while the Okha service will provide connectivity to Dwarka itself. DeshGujarat