Indian Railways has recorded a sharp surge in passenger patronage on the Vande Bharat Express network, with around 3.98 crore passengers travelling in FY26, marking a 34% growth over the previous year.
This increase reflects the rising preference for fast, comfortable and modern rail travel across the country, with the Vande Bharat network serving over 9.1 crore passengers through more than one lakh trips since inception.
Network expansion and adoption
The Vande Bharat Express, India’s first indigenously designed semi-high-speed train, was launched on the New Delhi–Varanasi route in February 2019 and has since expanded into a nationwide network.
It has emerged as a symbol of speed, comfort and self-reliance under the Make in India initiative, redefining passenger travel standards.
Key routes drive traffic
The New Delhi–Varanasi route remains the busiest, with over 73 lakh passengers, followed by the New Delhi–Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra route with around 56 lakh passengers.
In southern India, the Secunderabad–Visakhapatnam route has served more than 48 lakh passengers, while the Dr. MGR Central–Mysuru route has recorded over 36 lakh passengers, highlighting strong regional demand.
Boost to tourism and connectivity
These services have also enhanced connectivity to key religious, cultural and coastal destinations, contributing to tourism growth and local economic activity.
The improved accessibility has led to higher visitor footfall across multiple regions.
Sleeper variant gains momentum
Further strengthening long-distance connectivity, Indian Railways introduced the Vande Bharat Sleeper service in January 2026.
Within the first three months, the service carried 1.21 lakh passengers across 119 trips, achieving an occupancy rate of over 100%, reflecting strong demand for premium overnight travel.
Driving modern rail transformation
The Vande Bharat Express continues to demonstrate Indian Railways’ commitment to innovation, passenger-centric services and indigenous manufacturing.
With ongoing expansion across metros, pilgrimage destinations and emerging economic hubs, the network is set to play a pivotal role in transforming modern rail travel in India.