Patna: Indian Railways’ decision to convert the Ahmedabad–Patna “clone special” service into a weekly Amrit Bharat Express has triggered dissatisfaction among passengers in Bihar, after it emerged the upgraded train will not stop at Ara or Buxar.
The service, now numbered 21905/06, is intended to run as a regular weekly express between Ahmedabad and Patna. While the upgrade was expected to improve facilities and reliability, the revised stoppage pattern has drawn criticism from several communities along the route.
Under the new schedule, the train will run directly from Patna Junction to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) Junction, bypassing both Ara and Buxar. The omission has angered regular commuters, many of whom depend on the connection for travel towards western India, including Ahmedabad, Surat and Udhna.
Residents of Ara in particular have expressed frustration, pointing out that this is the second consecutive Amrit Bharat Express service to exclude a halt at the station. A similar pattern was observed in the Sealdah–Varanasi Amrit Bharat Express, which also skips Ara while stopping at DDU before proceeding to Patna.
Passengers and local stakeholders argue that Ara and surrounding regions generate substantial passenger traffic and revenue for Indian Railways, and have renewed their demand for the inclusion of a stoppage at Ara Junction.
The train will, however, stop at several stations en route, including Godhra, Dahod, Ramganj Mandi, Hindaun City, Gangapur City, Tundla and Subedarganj. Despite this, the exclusion of key Bihar stations has prompted calls for a review of the route planning.
