Surat is set to receive its first Vande Bharat Express after the Railway Board approved a new six-day-a-week service connecting the Gujarat city with Udaipur in Rajasthan. The train is expected to begin operations before the upcoming Navratri festival, giving passengers an additional premium travel option between Gujarat and one of Rajasthan’s most popular tourist destinations. The service is likely to benefit travellers from Surat, central Gujarat and parts of south Gujarat, particularly those travelling for tourism, business, family visits and other personal or commercial purposes.
According to the Railway Board’s approved operational schedule, the new Vande Bharat Express will consist of eight coaches and operate six days a week, with Tuesday designated as its weekly day of rest. The train will depart from Surat at 6.10 am and reach Udaipur at 1.40 pm. On the return journey, it will leave Udaipur at 3.35 pm and arrive back in Surat at 11 pm. The total journey is expected to take approximately seven and a half hours, providing a faster and more convenient connection between the two cities than several existing travel options.
The introduction of the service is expected to strengthen rail connectivity between Gujarat and Rajasthan and make travel to Udaipur more accessible for a wide range of passengers. Tourists visiting Udaipur’s lakes, palaces and heritage attractions, traders travelling between the two states, families attending social events and regular passengers could benefit from the direct premium train connection. With the addition of the Surat-Udaipur service, Gujarat’s total number of Vande Bharat Express services is expected to rise to six, further expanding the state’s network of high-speed semi-high-speed rail links.
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The operational plan also includes arrangements to support the regular maintenance and smooth functioning of the train. Surat will serve as the primary maintenance base for the service, allowing the train to be prepared and serviced at the originating station. Water-refilling facilities have been planned at Vadodara and Asarwa in Ahmedabad. These arrangements are expected to help railway authorities manage the train’s operational requirements and ensure that it remains ready for scheduled services throughout the week.
The Railway Ministry has simultaneously approved changes to an existing Vande Bharat service between Udaipur City and Asarwa in Ahmedabad. The train, numbered 26963/26964, had started operations in February but will no longer continue on its existing route in the same form. Instead, the service will effectively be extended from Asarwa to Surat and will operate as the new Surat-Udaipur Vande Bharat Express. This route restructuring will allow the railway network to provide direct connectivity to Surat while retaining the broader link between Udaipur and Gujarat.
Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil announced the Railway Board’s approval through a social media post and described the service as an important development for Surat and south Gujarat. He said the new train would make travel between Gujarat and Rajasthan faster, safer and more convenient while supporting tourism, trade and social ties between the two states. Patil also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for approving the service, which is expected to become operational before Navratri and provide a major boost to passenger connectivity in the region.
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