Deoghar – Varanasi Vande Bharat Express (22499 / 22500)

Timetable last checked 12 November 2026 (data from 11 November 2026). Fares checked 13 November 2026.

Train summary

Which Deoghar station? The train starts and ends at Deoghar (DGHR), the station in the temple town of Baidyanath Dham. It also stops at Jasidih Jn (JSME), 7 km and 4 minutes from Deoghar by this train. If you live near Jasidih, or are connecting from another train there, you can board or get off at Jasidih instead.

Which Varanasi station? The train uses Varanasi Jn (BSB). It is not the same as Banaras (BNRS). The last stop before Varanasi is Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Jn (DDU), 17 km and 55 minutes away on 22499.

What kind of train this is

The Deoghar Varanasi Vande Bharat Express is a daytime Chair Car train. There are no berths, only reclining seats: CC has 3+2 seating and EC has wider 2+2 seats. See CC vs EC and the seat guide for layouts and window seats.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off six Vande Bharat trains, the Varanasi–Deoghar train among them, by video conferencing at Tatanagar Junction on 15 September 2024. In his speech he said pilgrims who visit Kashi would now get a chance to visit Baba Baidyanath in Deoghar. Source: PM India That is the purpose of this Baidyanath Dham Vande Bharat: it links the temple town of Deoghar with Varanasi, and stops at Gaya on the way, so one train serves three pilgrim towns.

22499 Deoghar to Varanasi timetable

22500 Varanasi to Deoghar timetable

All stops are on the same day. For live running status, use NTES with train number 22499 or 22500.

The timings have changed since launch. When the service was announced in September 2024, 22500 was shown leaving Varanasi at 06:20 and reaching Deoghar at 13:15, and 22499 leaving Deoghar at 15:15. Source: Republic World Older articles and videos may still carry those times, and some headlines from that period promised a 6-hour journey that the timetable does not deliver. Go by the tables above, and check NTES or IRCTC for your date.

Deoghar Varanasi Vande Bharat boarding guide: every stop

Every stop below is a boarding and alighting point, and IRCTC sells tickets between any two of them. Times are the scheduled times; check live running on NTES on the day.

Train 22499, Deoghar → Varanasi Jn, and its return 22500 (times for 22499 first):

• Jasidih Jn (JSME). 22499 arrives at 15:14 and leaves at 15:16, 4 min and 7 km after Deoghar, with 7 h 14 min and 447 km still to go to Varanasi. In the other direction, 22500 calls here at 12:58, its last stop before Deoghar.
• Kiul Jn (KIUL). 22499 arrives at 16:30 and leaves at 16:35, 1 h 20 min and 105 km out of Deoghar, with 5 h 55 min to go. 22500 calls here at 11:25.
• Nawadah (NWD). 22499 arrives at 17:38 and leaves at 17:40, 2 h 28 min and 175 km out of Deoghar, with 4 h 50 min to go. 22500 calls here at 10:15.
• Gaya Jn (GAYA). 22499 arrives at 19:00 and leaves at 19:05, 3 h 50 min and 234 km out of Deoghar, with 3 h 25 min and 220 km still to go to Varanasi. The five-minute halt here matches Kiul and DDU as the longest on the route. 22500 calls here at 09:15.
• Sasaram (SSM). 22499 arrives at 20:14 and leaves at 20:16, 5 h 4 min and 337 km out of Deoghar, with 2 h 14 min to go. 22500 calls here at 08:03.
• Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Jn (DDU). 22499 arrives at 21:30 and leaves at 21:35, 6 h 20 min and 437 km out of Deoghar, with only 55 min and 17 km left to Varanasi. 22500 calls here at 06:55.

To board at an intermediate station, search from that station on IRCTC, or change the boarding point of an existing e-ticket once, up to the final chart. See the ticket change guide.

Vande Bharat to Gaya from Varanasi or Deoghar

Gaya Jn sits roughly in the middle of this route, so the Vande Bharat Express doubles as a Varanasi–Gaya and a Deoghar–Gaya train. From Varanasi, 22500 reaches Gaya at 09:15 after 3 h 5 min, and 22499 brings you back from Gaya at 19:05 to arrive in Varanasi at 22:30. From Deoghar, 22499 reaches Gaya at 19:00 after 3 h 50 min; in the other direction, 22500 leaves Gaya at 09:20 and reaches Deoghar at 13:40. Gaya Jn is the station listed for Bodh Gaya in our pilgrimage trains guide, so a pilgrim circuit of Varanasi, Gaya and Deoghar can be done on this one pair of trains over a few days. The same guide lists the other Vande Bharat trains that stop at Gaya.

Can you go and return the same day?

• From Varanasi to Deoghar: take 22500, which reaches Deoghar at 13:40, and come back on 22499 at 15:10. That leaves only 1 h 30 min at Deoghar, which is not enough for darshan at Baidyanath Dham on most days. Plan at least one night in Deoghar.
• From Varanasi to Gaya: take 22500 to Gaya (09:15) and return on 22499 from Gaya (19:05). That gives 9 h 50 min in Gaya, a workable day trip to Gaya or Bodh Gaya.
• From Deoghar: a day trip to Varanasi is not possible on this train, because 22499 reaches Varanasi at 22:30 and 22500 leaves Varanasi the next morning.

Both trains must run on the same day, and neither runs on Tuesday. Leave a buffer in case the morning train runs late. The same-day return planner checks this for any pair of stations, and the running days checker confirms a date.

Deoghar to Varanasi Vande Bharat ticket price

Fares are for one adult, General quota, with the meal, checked 13 November 2026. They are IRCTC fares as recorded by erail.in, and we kept a figure only where it agreed with erail’s own calculation from the official fare rules, so confirm on IRCTC before you pay. We could not confirm fares for shorter trips, such as Varanasi to Gaya or Deoghar to Gaya; check those on IRCTC. They are lower than the full Deoghar–Varanasi fare because the base fare depends on distance.

The Varanasi to Deoghar Vande Bharat costs ₹60 more in CC and ₹50 more in EC than the Deoghar to Varanasi train, over the same 454 km. Our fare data gives only the total, so check the breakdown on IRCTC when you book; it lists the base fare, catering charge and taxes separately. Choosing No Food lowers the price by the meal charge on either train. See the food guide for what is served.

The fare is built from a base fare (1.4 times Shatabdi in CC and 1.3 times in EC), reservation and superfast charges, GST and the optional meal. Source: PIB There is no dynamic fare, so the price does not rise as seats fill up. Source: PIB, February 2026 See how Vande Bharat ticket prices work or estimate a station pair with the fare calculator.

CC or EC? For a 7-hour trip, CC is the usual choice and costs ₹1,065 less than EC on 22499 and ₹1,055 less on 22500. EC is worth checking when CC is waitlisted, or if you are travelling with elderly pilgrims who need more legroom.

Booking the Deoghar Varanasi Vande Bharat train

Booking for 22499 and 22500 opens on IRCTC 60 days before the journey, at 08:00 IST, not counting the journey day. For a journey on Monday 11 January 2027, booking opens on Thursday 12 November 2026 at 08:00. Do not pick a Tuesday: the train does not run, and IRCTC will not show it. Find the opening date for your trip with the booking date calculator.

If CC is full, look at EC before taking a waiting-list ticket. A ticket still waitlisted when the chart is made is cancelled and refunded automatically, less ₹60 clerkage plus GST (₹63) per passenger.

Tatkal opens at 10:00 IST the day before the train leaves its first station: the day before at Deoghar for 22499, and the day before at Varanasi Jn for 22500. A confirmed Tatkal ticket gets no refund if you cancel. See the Tatkal guide.

The booking guide covers IRCTC step by step, including quotas, waiting lists and how to choose a seat.

Refund if you cancel a Deoghar Varanasi Vande Bharat ticket

The refund bands are counted from the train’s scheduled departure at its first station, so a passenger boarding 22500 at Gaya still works from the 06:10 departure from Varanasi Jn. For a confirmed ticket, per passenger, with 5% GST on the charge, using the 72, 24 and 8-hour bands the Ministry of Railways announced in March 2026:

• 22499 in CC (₹1,315): cancel more than 72 hours before and you get back about ₹1,126; 72 to 24 hours before, about ₹970; 24 to 8 hours before, about ₹625; less than 8 hours before, nothing.
• 22499 in EC (₹2,380): more than 72 hours before, about ₹2,128; 72 to 24 hours, about ₹1,755; 24 to 8 hours, about ₹1,130; less than 8 hours, nothing.
• 22500 in CC (₹1,375): more than 72 hours before, about ₹1,186; 72 to 24 hours, about ₹1,014; 24 to 8 hours, about ₹653; less than 8 hours, nothing.
• 22500 in EC (₹2,430): more than 72 hours before, about ₹2,178; 72 to 24 hours, about ₹1,792; 24 to 8 hours, about ₹1,154; less than 8 hours, nothing.

IRCTC’s published refund rules still show the older 48, 12 and 4-hour cut-offs, so the IRCTC cancellation screen is final. The Vande Bharat cancellation charges guide explains both sets of bands, and the refund calculator and cancellation deadline tool give your own figure and clock times.

When is the chart prepared for the Deoghar Varanasi Vande Bharat?

• 22500 leaves Varanasi Jn at 06:10, so its first chart is prepared by 20:00 the evening before.
• 22499 leaves Deoghar at 15:10, so its first chart is prepared by 05:10 on the day of travel (10 hours before departure).

After the first chart, waiting-list tickets are settled and your coach and seat number appear on the PNR. The chart preparation time tool works it out for any date.

Deoghar Varanasi Vande Bharat FAQs

What is the timing of the Deoghar to Varanasi Vande Bharat? Train 22499 leaves Deoghar at 15:10 and reaches Varanasi Jn at 22:30, a journey of 7 h 20 min.

What is the timing of the Varanasi to Deoghar Vande Bharat? Train 22500 leaves Varanasi Jn at 06:10 and reaches Deoghar at 13:40, a journey of 7 h 30 min.

On which day does the Deoghar Varanasi Vande Bharat not run? Tuesday, in both directions.

What is the Deoghar to Varanasi Vande Bharat ticket price? ₹1,315 in CC and ₹2,380 in EC with the meal on 22499. The Varanasi to Deoghar train 22500 is ₹1,375 in CC and ₹2,430 in EC (checked 13 November 2026; confirm on IRCTC).

Which Vande Bharat goes to Baidyanath Dham? The Deoghar–Varanasi pair, 22499 and 22500, ends at Deoghar (DGHR), the station for Baidyanath Dham. It also stops at Jasidih Jn.

What are the stops of the Deoghar Varanasi Vande Bharat? Six intermediate stops: Jasidih Jn (JSME), Kiul Jn (KIUL), Nawadah (NWD), Gaya Jn (GAYA), Sasaram (SSM) and Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Jn (DDU), in reverse order on 22500.

Does the Deoghar Varanasi Vande Bharat stop at Gaya? Yes, at Gaya Jn: 19:00 on 22499 towards Varanasi and 09:15 on 22500 towards Deoghar.

Does it stop at Jasidih? Yes. 22499 calls at Jasidih Jn at 15:14, four minutes after leaving Deoghar, and 22500 at 12:58.

How far is Deoghar from Varanasi by this train? 454 km by the route the Vande Bharat takes, via Kiul and Gaya.

Can I go from Varanasi to Deoghar and back in one day? Technically yes, with 1 h 30 min at Deoghar between 22500 arriving at 13:40 and 22499 leaving at 15:10, but that is too short for most temple visits.

When does booking open for the Deoghar Varanasi Vande Bharat Express? 60 days before the journey at 08:00 IST on IRCTC. For Monday 11 January 2027, it opens on Thursday 12 November 2026.

When was the Deoghar Varanasi Vande Bharat launched? It was flagged off by video conferencing on 15 September 2024, as one of six Vande Bharat trains launched that day.

Related routes

• Vande Bharat trains in Jharkhand
• Vande Bharat trains for pilgrims
• Ranchi – Varanasi Vande Bharat
• Delhi – Varanasi Vande Bharat
• Full Vande Bharat route list

Sources

Timetable, stops and running days: erail 22499, erail 22500, cross-checked with ConfirmTkt 22499 and ConfirmTkt 22500, 11 November 2026. Fares: erail.in’s IRCTC fare data, cross-checked against its fare calculation, 13 November 2026. Launch: PM India. Launch timings: Republic World. Fare rules: PIB, PIB, February 2026. Always confirm on IRCTC or NTES before travel. Report a correction.