LUCKNOW, Dec. 9 -- The Lucknow-Saharanpur Vande Bharat Express will finally begin regular operations from December 9, almost a month after it was virtually flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8. Despite the formal launch last month, the train could not be introduced immediately because of route synchronisation issues and timetable conflicts, senior railway officials said.

Initially, the Railways had planned a morning departure from Lucknow Junction. However, the proposed schedule clashed with the timings of the Dehradun Vande Bharat, and passenger demand from Saharanpur for an early-morning service further complicated the timetable. After several rounds of discussions at the Railway Board level, the train's operationa...