The wait is finally over for passengers planning to travel between Maharashtra, Bihar, and West Bengal. The Central Railway has confirmed that the regular commercial operations of the Panvel-Alipurduar Amrit Bharat Express will begin tomorrow, February 23. This train service was recently flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is now ready to serve the common public on a weekly basis. The timing of this launch is crucial as it will provide a much-needed travel option for the huge rush of passengers expected during the upcoming Holi festival.
Weekly Schedule and Timings
According to the official notification, the train will run with the number 11031 from Panvel to Alipurduar. It is scheduled to depart from Panvel every Monday at 11:50 AM. The train will travel through the night and the next day to reach Alipurduar Junction on Wednesday afternoon at 1:50 PM. This schedule allows passengers to complete this long journey in a systematic manner.
For the return journey, the train will run as number 11032 from Alipurduar. It will start its service from February 26. The departure time from Alipurduar is set for every Thursday at 4:45 AM. After covering the return distance, it will arrive at Panvel station on Saturday morning at 5:30 AM.
Ticket Price and Booking Rules
The Amrit Bharat Express is a special push-pull train designed to be affordable for the common man. It is a non-AC premium train. The train consists of 22 coaches in total. This includes 8 Sleeper Class coaches and 11 General Second Class coaches for unreserved passengers. There are also special compartments for differently-abled passengers and a pantry car.
Fare Details:
- Sleeper Class: Approximately ₹775 for the full journey.
- General Class: Tickets can be purchased through the Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) at normal charges.
Bookings for the reserved classes are already open. You can book your tickets through the IRCTC website or the RailOne app. Since this is a new service starting right before Holi, seats are expected to fill up quickly.
Route and Key Stations
This train connects five major states: Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. It covers a long route and stops at several important stations. This connectivity is a big boon for people from North Bihar working in Mumbai.
Major Halts Include:
- Maharashtra: Kalyan, Nashik Road, Bhusaval.
- Central India: Itarsi, Jabalpur, Prayagraj Chheoki.
- Bihar & Bengal: Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Jn, Buxar, Ara, Patliputra, Hajipur, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, and Katihar.
The train features modern amenities like mobile charging ports at every seat, radium floor strips for visibility at night, and jerk-free rides due to advanced air-spring technology.