The Vande Bharat Express train will soon start running from Patna to Gorakhpur via Thawe. This major decision was crucial during the Divisional Committee meeting of Members of Parliament from the Varanasi division (chaired by MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy) of Eastern Railway. The railway has given its technical consent for the same. Once started, passengers from Gopalganj and nearby areas will have a fast and comfortable travel option.
During the meeting, Gopalganj MP Dr. Alok Kumar Suman raised several key issues related to the district's development, including the demand for the Vande Bharat Express to run via Chhapra-Thawe.
Dr. Suman also highlighted the poor condition of the Gopalganj Railway Link Road. He expressed serious apprehensions about the road quality built at the cost of lakhs of rupees (of people's money), which shockingly deteriorated within two months, causing great inconvenience to travelers. He raised this complaint with senior railway officials and the Union Railway Minister, leading to a demand for an investigation and appropriate action.
Anyway, the road is now in very poor condition, and the quality of the work is questioned. He suggested that while investigating any construction work, a team from outside the department should be included along with local public representatives to ensure transparency and maintain public trust in railway management.
Major outcomes of the meeting
At Thawe, it was decided that train movements should be better facilitated to avoid unnecessary train stoppages and long halts. Train No. 55110 (Chhapra Kacheri-Thawe) will arrive at the station at 9:25 AM, and after a halt of about one hour, Train No. 55112 will depart towards Siwan-Maharajganj.
Similarly, passengers traveling from Thawe to Patna via Siwan will get special convenience. Train No. 55035, which comes from Siwan to Thawe, currently at 5:35 PM, is suggested to have its departure time extended to 6:05 PM for the better convenience of office-goers and travelers returning in the evening.
Another suggestion was made to adjust the early morning Patna-bound train from Thawe. Train No. 15080 currently departs at 6:50 AM; it was proposed to advance its departure to 4:30 AM so passengers could reach Patna by around 10 AM and complete their tasks during office hours.
There was also a demand to extend Arunachal Express’s route via Siwan-Thawe-Kaptanganj-Gorakhpur, allowing better connectivity to Delhi from the area. Alongside this, the extension of the Lucknow Junction-Chhapra Express up to Thawe was proposed and is pending the Railway Board's approval.
Similarly, the extension of the Chhapra-Farrukhabad Express up to Thawe is being approved. Additionally, a demand was made to extend the Ahmedabad-Gorakhpur Express via Thawe, improving train services for migrant workers.
For better train connectivity, there was a proposal to run trains from Gorakhpur to Thawe via Anand Vihar and Hamrahi Express. Also, the demand to extend the Ganga Gomti Express up to Thawe was raised so travelers could have better direct travel options.
There was also a proposal to develop the Jangiganj station further and establish a second pit line and better facilities, which would ease train operations. Another recommendation was to include Jangiganj station under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme to ensure overall development.
The overall demand is to expedite all development works so that passengers can receive modern and upgraded facilities as soon as possible.