Anand Vihar Terminal–Ayodhya Cantonment Vande Bharat Express

The 22426/22425 Anand Vihar Terminal - Ayodhya Cantonment Vande Bharat Express is India's 36th Vande Bharat Express train, connecting the capital city of New Delhi's Anand Vihar Terminal with Ayodhya, the birthplace of the deity Rama of Kosala in Uttar Pradesh.^[1][2][3]

Anand Vihar Terminal - Ayodhya Cantt Vande Bharat Express
Overview
Service type	Vande Bharat Express
Locale	New Delhi and Uttar Pradesh
First service	December 30, 2023 (2023-12-30) (Inaugural) 4 January 2024; 18 months ago (4 January 2024) (Commercial)
Current operator(s)	Northern Railways (NR)
Route
Termini	Anand Vihar Terminal (ANVT) Ayodhya Cantt (AYC)
Stops	3
Distance travelled	628 km (390 mi)
Average journey time	08 hrs 20 mins
Service frequency	Six days a week [a]
Train number(s)	22426 / 22425
Line(s) used	Delhi–Kanpur line (from Anand Vihar Terminal) Kanpur–Lucknow line Lucknow–Varanasi line (till Ayodhya Cantt. Jn.)
On-board services
Class(es)	AC Chair Car, AC Executive Chair Car
Seating arrangements	Airline style Rotatable seats
Sleeping arrangements	No
Catering facilities	On board Catering
Observation facilities	Large windows in all coaches
Entertainment facilities	On-board WiFi Infotainment System Electric outlets Reading light Seat Pockets Bottle Holder Tray Table
Baggage facilities	Overhead racks
Other facilities	Kavach
Technical
Rolling stock	Mini Vande Bharat 2.0 (Last service: Jan 07 2024) Vande Bharat 2.0 (Last service: July 07 2025) Vande Bharat 3.0 (First service: July 08 2025)
Track gauge	Indian gauge 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC Overhead line
Operating speed	75 km/h (47 mph) (Avg.)
Average length	480 metres (1,570 ft) (20 coaches)
Track owner(s)	Indian Railways
Rake maintenance	Anand Vihar Terminal (ANVT)
Route map Legend 22426 ↓ Anand Vihar Terminal New Delhi Uttar Pradesh border Kanpur Central Lucknow Charbagh NR 22425 ↑ Ayodhya Cantt. Junction

This express train was inaugurated on 30 December 2023 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Ayodhya Dham Junction.^{[4][5][6][7][8][9]}

Overview

This train is operated by Indian Railways, connecting Anand Vihar Terminal, Aligarh Junction, Kanpur Central, Lucknow Charbagh and Ayodhya Cantt. It is currently operated with train numbers 22426/22425 on 6 days a week basis. From 16 August 2024, Aligarh Junction has also been added as experimental stoppage.^[10][11]

Rakes

It was the thirty-fourth 2nd Generation and twenty-first Mini Vande Bharat 2.0 Express train which was designed and manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory at Perambur, Chennai under the Make in India Initiative.^[12]

This conversion of 8 coaches to 16 coaches commenced on January 9, 2025, as this would benefit the passengers heading towards the Skandagupta's Ayodhya tourist destination via the capital city of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. Further the conversion of 16 coaches to 20 coaches commenced on July 08 2025, thereby favouring many passengers to reach the divine Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. ^[13][14]

Service

The 22426/22425 Anand Vihar Terminal - Ayodhya Cantonment Vande Bharat Express operates 6 days a week, covering a distance of 628 km (390 mi) in a travel time of 8 hrs 20 mins with an average speed of 75 km/h (47 mph). The Maximum Permissible Speed is 130 km/h (81 mph).

See also

• Vande Bharat Express
• Tejas Express
• Gatimaan Express
• Anand Vihar Terminal
• Ayodhya Cantt. Junction railway station

Notes

1. Except Wednesdays