Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the seventh Vande Bharat Express of Indian Railways after his mother’s cremation. The premium train operates on Howrah-New Jalpaiguri (NJP), West Bengal’s and east India’s first Vande Bharat Express. The distance from Howrah to New Jalpaiguri is 560 km, and the Vande Bharat Express would cover the distance in eight hours.

The Vande Bharat Express has become the second premium train amenity between Howrah and NJP after the Shatabdi Express already runs between these two places. The Vande Bharat Express train departs from Howrah to reach NJP in the afternoon, whereas the Shatabdi Express leaves Howrah for NJP in the afternoon to come at night.
The train would leave the Howrah Station at 6 am and reach New Jalpaiguri Station at 1.30 pm, and after a one-hour stopover, it will depart north Bengal station at 2.30 pm and arrive at Howrah at 10 pm.

The Vande Bharat Express will have slighter stoppages paralleled to the Shatabdi Express, which halts at five places from Howrah to NJP. The stoppages of Shatabdi Express are New Farraka Jn, Bolpur Shantiniketan, Malda Town, Barsoi Junction, and Kishanganj before dismissing at NJP. However, according to media reports, the Vande Bharat Express will stop only at Bolpur, Malda Enroute to NJP. The Shatabdi Express functions six days a week, leaving Sunday. Similarly, Vande Bharat is predicted to run six days a week on the Howrah-NJP route.