New Amrit Bharat Routes to Link Varanasi, Ayodhya, Pune and Mumbai, Boosting Spiritual Travel

Indian Railways is set to launch two new Amrit Bharat Express services linking Uttar Pradesh with Maharashtra through Madhya Pradesh, in a major push for affordable long-distance travel, pilgrimage connectivity and worker mobility. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the Banaras–Hadapsar (Pune) Amrit Bharat Express and the Ayodhya–Mumbai Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Amrit Bharat Express on April 28, 2026. The Banaras–Hadapsar service will run daily, while the Ayodhya–Mumbai service will operate weekly.

The new trains are being positioned as an important bridge between India’s spiritual heartland and Maharashtra’s major economic centres. The Banaras–Hadapsar route will improve access to Kashi Vishwanath Dham and connect Varanasi with Pune, one of India’s leading education, IT, manufacturing and defence-linked cities. The Ayodhya–Mumbai route will strengthen access to the Shri Ram Mandir Teerth Kshetra while giving passengers from eastern Uttar Pradesh and central India a direct, affordable link to Mumbai’s Lokmanya Tilak Terminus.

The Ministry of Railways said the services are expected to particularly benefit pilgrims, migrant workers, students, families, small traders and daily passengers travelling between Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. By creating direct train links, the new routes will reduce the need for passengers to change trains, making long-distance travel smoother and more predictable for common passengers.

The Banaras–Hadapsar Amrit Bharat Express will begin from Banaras and reach Hadapsar near Pune late at night the following day, completing the journey in around 30 hours. The train will have 18 halts, including Gyanpur Road, Prayagraj, Fatehpur, Govindpuri, Orai, Virangana Lakshmibai Jhansi, Bina, Rani Kamlapati, Narmadapuram, Itarsi, Harda, Khandwa, Bhusaval, Jalgaon, Manmad, Kopargaon, Ahilyanagar, Daund and Hadapsar.

This route has a strong cultural and economic logic. It connects Banaras, one of India’s oldest living cities and a major centre of pilgrimage, with Pune, a growing employment hub for youth, students and skilled workers. Along the way, it touches Prayagraj, Jhansi, Bhopal, Itarsi, Bhusaval, Jalgaon, Manmad and Kopargaon, creating a corridor that supports religious travel to Kashi, Shirdi and the Triveni Sangam, while also helping agricultural traders, students and workers reach Maharashtra more easily.

The Ayodhya–Mumbai Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Amrit Bharat Express will start from Ayodhya Cantt in the evening and reach Mumbai LTT the next evening, completing the journey in around 28 hours. It will halt at Sultanpur, M B D Pratapgarh, Prayagraj Junction, Manikpur Junction, Satna, Jabalpur, Itarsi Junction, Bhusaval Junction, Jalgaon Junction, Nashik Road, Kalyan Junction and Thane before reaching Lokmanya Tilak Terminus.

For Ayodhya, the train comes at a time when the city is witnessing rapid growth as a major pilgrimage and tourism destination. For Mumbai, it strengthens a long-standing people-to-people corridor with Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, especially for migrant workers and families who travel for employment, festivals, weddings and emergencies. The service gives these passengers a more affordable and direct alternative on a heavily used route.

Amrit Bharat Express trains are designed as modern, fully non-AC services for low- and middle-income passengers. They include General and Sleeper class coaches, pantry facilities and Divyangjan-friendly features. The trains also come with upgraded seats and berths, improved ride quality through semi-automatic couplers, crashworthy coach design, CCTV surveillance, emergency talk-back systems, fire suppression systems, sealed gangways, improved toilets, better lighting and mobile charging points with USB Type-A and Type-C ports.

A key technical feature of these trains is the use of push-pull technology, with locomotives at both ends. This improves acceleration, operational efficiency and overall performance, making Amrit Bharat trains an important affordable counterpart to the premium Vande Bharat category. While Vande Bharat has redefined faster, premium rail travel, Amrit Bharat is emerging as Indian Railways’ modern answer for comfortable, safer and lower-cost long-distance travel for ordinary passengers.

With the launch of these two services, the total number of operational Amrit Bharat Express train services will rise to 66. The expansion shows Indian Railways’ effort to combine religious tourism, worker mobility, regional integration and affordable transport into one network strategy. For passengers across Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, the new services are not merely additional trains; they are new social and economic lifelines linking temples, towns, job markets and families across the heart of India.

Reference:

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2255956&lang=1&reg=3
https://ddnews.gov.in/en/pm-modi-to-flag-off-two-new-amrit-bharat-trains-linking-up-mp-and-maharashtra-on-april-28/
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/railways-launch-2-amrit-bharat-trains-uttar-pradesh-maharashtra-april-28-routes-stops-10654995/
https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/india-boosts-spiritual-and-cultural-travel-with-new-amrit-bharat-express-routes-linking-varanasi-ayodhya-and-mumbai/