Patna: Rail passengers in Bihar’s Kosi and Seemanchal regions are set to get a new night-time rail connection with the capital, with the Railways announcing a special train between Pataliputra and Purnia Court via Saharsa from August 17.
The service will operate five days a week for about a month. The Pataliputra-Purnia Court special will run from August 17 to September 16, while the return service will operate from August 18 to September 17.
The service fulfils a long-standing demand for a night train connecting the Kosi and Seemanchal regions with Patna.
Train To Run Five Days A Week
According to the railway notification, train 03216 will depart from Pataliputra at 11pm, except on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and reach Purnia Court at 8.30am the following morning.
It will pass through Sonpur, Hajipur, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Rosera, Hasanpur, Khagaria, Mansi, Simri Bakhtiyarpur, Saharsa, Madhepura, Murliganj and Banmankhi.
The train is scheduled to reach Saharsa at 5.55am and Purnia Court at 8.30am.
In the opposite direction, train 03215 will leave Purnia Court at 9.10am, except on Thursdays and Sundays. It will reach Saharsa at 11am and Pataliputra at 5.45pm.
According to Samastipur divisional railway manager Jyoti Prakash Mishra, the service has been introduced for the convenience of passengers travelling between the two regions and the state capital.
20-Coach Train With Sleeper And AC Classes
The special train will have 20 coaches, comprising:
- Four unreserved coaches
- 10 sleeper class coaches
- Three AC 3-tier coaches
- One AC 2-tier coach
- Two SLR/D coaches
The train will use ICF coaches rather than LHB coaches and will be maintained at the Danapur coaching depot.
The journey from Pataliputra to Saharsa will take approximately 6 hours 55 minutes, while the full journey to Purnia Court will take around 9 hours 30 minutes.
Key Stations And Timings
On its journey from Pataliputra, the train is scheduled to reach Sonpur at 11.30pm, Hajipur at 11.42pm, Muzaffarpur at 12.55am, Samastipur at 2am, Hasanpur at 2.55am, Khagaria at 3.53am and Mansi at 4.10am.
It will reach Simri Bakhtiyarpur at 5am, Saharsa at 5.55am, Madhepura at 6.50am, Murliganj at 7.18am and Banmankhi at 7.38am, before reaching Purnia Court.
The return service will leave Purnia Court at 9.10am and reach Banmankhi at 9.35am, Murliganj at 9.55am, Madhepura at 10.15am and Saharsa at 11am.
It will subsequently reach Simri Bakhtiyarpur at 11.51am, Mansi at 12.58pm, Khagaria at 1.12pm, Hasanpur at 1.50pm, Rosera at 2.10pm, Samastipur at 2.50pm, Muzaffarpur at 3.50pm, Hajipur at 4.45pm and Sonpur at 5pm, before reaching Pataliputra at 5.45pm.
Both services have been allotted a 30-minute halt at Saharsa.
The temporary service is expected to provide an additional rail option for passengers travelling between Patna and the Kosi and Seemanchal regions during its one-month operating period.
