Considering that Amritsar Airport will remain closed till May 15 following Indo-Pak border tensions, Indian Railways will operate two one-way Vande Bharat Special Trains from Amritsar and MCTM to Delhi on May 12 to facilitate passengers.
Amritsar/Pathankot
In order to mitigate the travel inconvenience due to the continued closure of Amritsar's Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Indian Railways has declared the operation of two one-way Vande Bharat Special trains on May 12, 2025. This comes after increasing passenger inconvenience after temporarily stopping flights amid escalating Indo-Pak border tensions in the region.
The inaugural special train, Train No. 02464, will leave Amritsar at 15:55 hrs and arrive at New Delhi (NDLS) at 22:25 hrs. The train will stop at Beas, Jalandhar City, Ludhiana, and Ambala Cantonment, providing a lifeline journey to stranded air travelers in Punjab.
The second special train, Train No. 02462, will depart Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan (MCTM) Station of Udhampur at 15:00 hrs and arrive in New Delhi through Kathua, Pathankot Cantt, Jalandhar Cantt, Ludhiana, and Ambala Cantt. It has been decided to allow the Jammu and north Punjab passengers, too, who have been equally affected by the shutdown of the airport.
Indian Railways officials clarified that the trains are completely booked, and the move is an interim one to ensure hassle-free travel during the duration of the airport's non-working hours, which would likely last until May 15, 2025.
With the air link cut off, this timely action by Indian Railways is likely to bring relief to scores of passengers and ensure vital connectivity between Punjab and the national capital uninterrupted.
Train schedule summary
These are timings listed as per official information released:
- 02464 – Vande Bharat Special Amritsar – New Delhi
- Departs: Amritsar at 15:55 hrs
- Arrival: New Delhi at 22:25 hrs
- Runs via: Beas, Jalandhar City, Ludhiana, Ambala Cantt
- 02462 – MCTM (Udhampur) – New Delhi Vande Bharat Special
- Departs: MCTM at 15:00 hrs
- Runs via: Kathua, Pathankot Cantt, Jalandhar Cantt, Ludhiana, Ambala Cantt
Passengers are requested to reserve seats in advance because demand will be high owing to limited options as the airport remains closed. Special trains are operational for today, May 12. in case these train schedules of these special trains are being extended for dates other than that will be updated. For further such news updates, stay connected with Truescoop.