The Dumka-Ranchi Vande Bharat Express train will start operating from September 15th. The train will take only four hours to travel from Dumka to Ranchi, making it a significant development for the people of Santhal Pargana, including Dumka. The train will not have a general bogie and will have higher ticket...
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prices compared to other trains. It will pass through Godda, Dumka, Basukinath, and Deoghar before reaching Ranchi. The exact timings are yet to be released, but the train will also travel through Madhupur, New Giridih, Jamua, Rajdhanwar, Koderma, Barhi, and Hazaribagh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the Dumka-Ranchi Vande Bharat Express, along with the Baidyanath Dham-Kashi Vishwanath Vande Bharat Express, from Jamshedpur on September 15th. The Baidyanath Dham-Kashi Vishwanath Vande Bharat Express will depart from Baidyanath Dham station at 3:15 PM and reach Varanasi station at 10:20 PM, passing through Jasidih, Jhajha, Nawada, Gaya, and Deen Dayal Upadhyay station. From Varanasi, the train will depart at 6:20 AM, reach Gaya station at 9:10 AM, and arrive at Baidyanath Dham station at 1:30 PM. This train is expected to benefit pilgrims visiting Baba Baidyanath in Deoghar, Vishnu Pad Temple in Gaya, and Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi. The train will run at a speed of 100 km/h from Dumka to Jasidih, and the speed will be adjusted according to the track's capacity after that.

Hazaribagh Town railway station in Jharkhand, despite generating a substantial income of over 240 crore rupees per month primarily from coal transport, lacks long-distance train services. Despite demands and protests, no long-distance train has been introduced in the past nine years, despite the station's strategic location and a large population dependent...
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on it. This situation is further aggravated by the lack of expansion of the local passenger trains and the reduced frequency of the intercity train, despite high demand. Although a coach maintenance depot was inaugurated in 2019, there are still limited amenities at the station. Local residents hope for the introduction of long-distance trains, expansion of local passenger trains, and restoration of the intercity train's original frequency.

Barhi railway station, inaugurated in 2015, lacks basic amenities for passengers. There is insufficient lighting at the main gate and platforms, causing inconvenience for travelers. The station lacks adequate seating arrangements, proper drinking water facilities, and toilets. While an reservation counter is present, ticket booking services are not available. Despite...
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the introduction of the Vande Bharat Express on this line, it does not stop at Barhi station. Locals have been demanding a halt for the train.

Hazaribagh, the headquarters of the North Chotanagpur Division and a historical district, has been yearning for a railway line for decades. In 1999, the then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, laid the foundation stone for a Rs. 3000 crore project for the Kodarma-Ranchi via Hazaribagh railway line. This project was completed...
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in three phases and finally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 20, 2015. However, despite the railway line being operational, Hazaribagh residents express disappointment over the lack of long-distance trains. While there are local trains and a Vande Bharat express to Patna via Ranchi, people still have to travel to Ranchi or Kodarma for long-distance journeys. Locals complain about the commercialization of the line, with coal washing operations conducted by NTPC in Barkagaon generating profits for the central government. They feel that they are given only a few trains during election seasons and that the high ticket prices of the Vande Bharat make bus travel more appealing. The Chairman of the Commerce & Chamber, Rajendra Lal, echoes the sentiment that while the railway line is operational, the business community in Hazaribagh hasn't benefited from it. The limited train services and the focus on coal transportation leave people longing for more connectivity and long-distance train options.