The Indian Railways is considering a route change for the New Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express (20503/04), potentially rerouting it through Gorakhpur. Passengers have been requesting this change, and the Railway Board has asked for reports from relevant zones, including the East Central Railway, North Eastern Railway, Northern Railway, and Northeast Frontier Railway....
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These reports are due in 30 days. Currently, the Rajdhani operates via Chhapra and Varanasi. While technical feasibility for the Gorakhpur route is being assessed, no official statements or schedule changes have been announced. The potential change would benefit residents of North Bihar by providing a more convenient route to Gorakhpur. The current route of the train is New Delhi-Kanpur-Varanasi-Ballia-Chhapra-Hajipur-Muzaffarpur-Samastipur-Barauni-Dibrugarh.

The Rajdhani Express, currently running between Delhi and Dibrugarh via Ballia, may soon operate via Gorakhpur. The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has agreed to run the train for two days a week on the Lucknow-Gorakhpur-Chhapra route. The NFR confirmed that the track is suitable for running the Rajdhani, currently operating at...
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110 km/h, at a speed of 130 km/h. The train's route will be diverted from Chhapra to Gorakhpur, with the current schedule of Train No. 20503/04, running from Delhi to Dibrugarh on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, remaining unchanged. Gorakhpur, as a rapidly developing city with various infrastructural projects and tourist attractions, currently lacks a major train connection. The 'Hamen Chahiye Rajdhani' campaign by Dainik Jagran, advocating for the train's route change, has been crucial in achieving this development. The campaign began in September 2021 and gained support from various stakeholders, including representatives, railway staff, and the railway administration itself. The campaign eventually reached the Railway Minister who assured that Gorakhpur would receive the Rajdhani. The NFR's General Manager, who later became the Chairman of the Railway Board, also confirmed in January 2022 that the Rajdhani would be operational on the Gorakhpur route.

The Indian Railways is moving forward with plans to route the Rajdhani Express through Gorakhpur. Following instructions from the Railway Board, the Northeast Railway has confirmed that there are no technical obstacles to running the Rajdhani Express through Gorakhpur. This decision was prompted by a report submitted to the Railway...
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Board after they requested a feasibility study within 30 days. The Rajdhani Express currently travels through Chhapra and Balia to reach New Delhi, but a Gorakhpur route would shorten the distance and travel time to Lucknow. The exact arrival and departure times for Gorakhpur are still being finalized. The Hindustan newspaper led a campaign in April to advocate for this route change, and MP Ravi Kishan supported the initiative.

On Monday, Ballia MP Sanatan Pandey met with DRM VK Srivastava at Lahartara and submitted a memorandum regarding several issues. Pandey expressed concern over the proposed diversion of the Dibrugarh-New Delhi via Chhapra, Ballia 20503/20504 Rajdhani Express, advocating for its continued operation on the Gorakhpur route, threatening an agitation if the...
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diversion occurs. He also requested improvements to railway infrastructure in Ballia's Chitbaragaon, including a railway bridge and other passenger facilities. DRM VK Srivastava, however, clarified that no orders or letters regarding route diversion have been received.

The Northeast Railway (NER) is preparing to run the Rajdhani Express via Gorakhpur, following a directive from the Railway Board. The operations and commercial departments are working on a plan for the route, including arrival and departure times. The Dibrugarh-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, if running on its current schedule, would reach...
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Gorakhpur around midnight after departing from Dibrugarh. The Railway Board had requested reports on this from NER, Northern Railway (NR), and Northeast Frontier Railway (NF) on Friday. The initiative was sparked by a campaign launched by the Hindi daily 'Hindustan' and consistent pleas by Gorakhpur MP Ravi Kishan Shukla in Parliament. The introduction of the Rajdhani Express through Gorakhpur would provide a much-needed new train to Delhi, boosting the city's stature. Currently, the Dibrugarh-New Delhi Rajdhani Express (train number 20503/04) travels via Chhapra, Ballia, Varanasi, Lucknow, and Kanpur before reaching New Delhi. A route through Gorakhpur would reduce travel distance and time. 'Hindustan' ran a campaign from April 2 to 8 advocating for the Rajdhani Express via Gorakhpur, highlighting passenger demand and technical aspects. Gorakhpur currently has only two direct trains to Delhi, while eight others arrive from other locations. With a total of 2,500 seats on these trains, the demand for reserved seats for daily travelers from Gorakhpur to Delhi exceeds 10,000, making the Rajdhani Express a vital addition.