Have you been to Varanasi? One of the world’s oldest inhabited cities, Varanasi or Banaras is one of the holiest places in Hinduism. Pilgrims come to the Ganges here to wash away sins in the sacred waters, to cremate their loved ones, or simply to die here, hoping for liberation from the cycle of rebirth. Good news for Delhi-waasis, India’s first semi-high speed train from Delhi to Varanasi, the Vande Bharat Express was flagged by the Prime Minister of India.
The train will travel from Delhi to Varanasi in 9 hours and 45 minutes. This includes stoppage time of 40 minutes each at Kanpur and Allahabad where there will be special programmes. The semi-high speed called ‘Train 18’, can run up to a maximum speed of 160 kmph and has travel classes like Shatabdi trains but with better facilities.
