Vande Bharat Express Extended to Narasapur, to be Flagged Off on December 15
With the extension, Narasapur will get its first-ever Vande Bharat Express service
VIJAYAWADA: The Konaseema region is set to receive a major boost in premium rail connectivity with the extension of the MGR Chennai Central–Vijayawada Vande Bharat Express up to Narasapur. The extended service will be flagged off at 1.30 pm on December 15 at Narasapur Railway Station by Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Steel Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma.
With the extension, Narasapur will get its first-ever Vande Bharat Express service. The semi-high-speed train will operate via Bhimavaram and Gudivada and cover the 655-km distance between Narasapur and Chennai in around nine hours, offering passengers a direct daytime service without the need for transhipment at Vijayawada.
The train, numbered 20677/20678, will have seven AC Chair Car coaches and one Executive Chair Car coach, with a total seating capacity of 530 passengers. It will run six days a week, except Tuesdays, and is expected to benefit pilgrims, business travellers and daily commuters between Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
According to South Central Railway, the Narasapur–MGR Chennai Central service will commence from December 15, while the return service from Chennai will begin from December 17. The train will halt at Renigunta, Nellore, Ongole, Tenali, Vijayawada, Gudivada and Bhimavaram Town.
The announced timings will remain in force till January 11, 2026, with revised timings coming into effect from January 12. Senior railway officials and public representatives are expected to attend the flag-off ceremony, marking a key milestone in improving rail connectivity for Konaseema and Coastal Andhra regions.
