Railways Approves New Vande Bharat Express Between Lucknow and Saharanpur
The Ministry of Railways has approved the introduction of a new Vande Bharat Express (Train Nos. 26503/26504) connecting Lucknow Junction and Saharanpur, further expanding India’s semi-high-speed train network in North India. The approval follows a meeting held at Baroda House, New Delhi, on September 15, 2025, and was formally notified by the Railway Board on October 31, 2025.
The Lucknow–Saharanpur Vande Bharat Express (Train No. 26504) will depart from Lucknow Junction at 5:00 AM and reach Saharanpur at 12:45 PM, while the return service, Train No. 26503, will leave Saharanpur at 3:00 PM and arrive in Lucknow at 11:00 PM.
The train will run six days a week (except Monday) with commercial halts at Sitapur, Shahjahanpur, Bareilly, Moradabad, Najibabad, and Roorkee. Lucknow Junction will serve as the primary maintenance depot, and Moradabad will function as the watering station.
Designed to provide faster and more comfortable intercity travel, the new service aims to strengthen rail connectivity between Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The Railway Board has instructed concerned zones—Northern Railway and North Eastern Railway—to implement the service from an early convenient date, with the option to operate an inaugural special train before regular service begins.
Officials have been directed to ensure compliance with all operational requirements and to give wide publicity to the launch, marking another milestone in the Vande Bharat network’s rapid expansion.
