Dehradun Railway Station sits where the plains give way to the Shivalik hills. It is the last major broad gauge stop before Uttarakhand’s mountains begin. Trains arrive from Delhi Kolkata Mumbai, Kota and Varanasi every day; loaded with pilgrims destined for Haridwar, students commuting to hostels and tourists’ seeking relief from the Mussoorie heat. Few stations in north India are this busy long drawn out now. Dehradun has connections to all the railway zones of India. It is easy to know which trains go via Dehradun Railway Station. This guide covers every major train category. Each section is grouped by region. That way, travellers can pick the right connection without scrolling through endless timetables.
Why Dehradun Railway Station Is Uttarakhand’s Busiest Gateway
The Dehradun Railway station, is of the year 1899 and was established by the British to cater to the Doon valley. Today, after more than a century, this station still caters equally to pilgrims, defense personnel, students and the hill tourists. This station is part of Moradabad division of Northern Railways. Four platforms manage over thirty scheduled trains. That number climbs further during Kanwar season and the summer tourist rush. Almost every Uttarakhand bound service touches this station at some point. Anyone planning multiple hops through the hills can look up trains between stations first. Several services from Dehradun connect onward toward Haridwar, Rishikesh and Kotdwar. That single check often saves an unplanned wait at a connecting junction.
Vande Bharat Express Trains From Dehradun
The Vande Bharat Express operates on a fixed schedule where it travels from Dehradun to Anand Vihar on six days and then the seventh day is dedicated as the off day for the train. Train numbers are 22457 (/) and 22458 (/), the rail segment is of 302 length, and so, the train needs about 4 and half hours to complete its journey. The train also gets the chance to stop the train and wait for passing Haridwar, Roorkee and Saharanpur stations. That makes it the fastest daytime option out of Dehradun. Seating comes in chair car and executive chair car classes. Both facilities also have catering services and feature large windows.
The Dehradun- Anand Vihar Vande Bharat Express runs on six working days. It is not running one day in between the working days. These super fast trains, 22457 & 22458, complete a 302 km run in just 4 hours and 45 minutes without any stoppages. They also have stops at Haridwar, Roorkee and Saharanpur in between. The train passes by Moradabad and Bareilly on the way and after reaching Haridwar it comes down to Lucknow Junction through the valley track. Fog tends to bunch up delays on both trains during winter mornings. Checking live train running status before leaving home is a sensible habit here. This matters most between December and February, when visibility drops sharply.
Shatabdi And AC Express Trains
The New Delhi Dehradun Shatabdi Express carries numbers 12017 and 12018. It remains one of the oldest premium day trains on this route. Even till today, it runs daily and covers the distance in roughly five hours. It stops only at a handful of major junctions. Chair car and executive chair car seating come with full meals included.
The Nanda Devi AC Express takes a different path. It links Kota Junction with Dehradun; this train is numbered 12401 and its return is 12402. After starting its 763 km journey from Kota station, it reaches Dehradun 11 hrs and 45 min later. Along the way, it stops at some key junctions including Delhi railway station’s Hazrat Nizamuddin junction as well as at Ghaziabad Railway Station too. Every coach on this train stays fully air conditioned. Classes span first class, two tier and three tier AC. This route sees heavy festival season demand each year. Checking seat availability in train well ahead of travel helps avoid a long waitlist. This matters most around Diwali and the Char Dham season.
Jan Shatabdi Trains Connecting The Hills
Jan Shatabdi trains sit between premium and general services. Besides AC chair car seating they also have cheaper unreserved coaches. Dehradun New Delhi Jan Shatabdi Express runs as trains number 12055 and 12056. It is a daily train and will make a good choice for the people who are budget conscious. It works as a faster alternative to overnight mail trains.
There is another Jan Shatabdi express service between the hills and Kumaon. The train from Kathgodam to Dehradun, known as the Kathgodam Dehradun – Naini Doon Jan Shatabdi train with the numbers 12091 and 12092 is a good means of transportation. It covers a distance of 336 km in roughly 7 hours. This train operates every week on five days, except it misses Tuesdays and Thursdays.The service joins the two very different faces of Uttarakhand. The one end is in the Doon valley whereas the other is in the Kumaon foothills. A change is required neither at Delhi nor at Moradabad. Both Jan Shatabdi services carry catering on board, though the menu stays simpler than what premium trains offer.
Delhi And NCR Mail Express Trains
Several long standing mail and express trains still connect Dehradun with the national capital region. The sleeper class option is another facility offered by these trains whereas Shatabdi and Vande Bharat trains do not offer at all. Scheduled as train no. 14041 and 14042, Mussoorie Epxress will be running on the route connecting Delhi through night hours only. People who take this train enjoy getting up to the city just in the morning, not to mention it saves them from the expensive daylight trains.
Train no. 14119 and 14120 of Dehradun Kathgodiham Express have a leisurely itinerary for the overnight hours. The hill region of Doon Valley is connected to Kumaon through this train. The train class options include sleeper coaches, AC three tier to general compartments. The train has been a favourite amongst the backpackers and budget tourists, who tend to use it for travel between the Doon Valley and Kumaon. These are the Dehradun-Amitash Express (Punjab) train numbers 14631/14632.
Different types of the train running from Dehradun covering around 463 kilometers will stop after around 11hr 45min. Deo Road is one of the stations, the first stop at which the Dehradun to Amritsar express leaves the platform. In between, the trains will halt at Saharanpur Ambala Ludhiana and several other stations. Sleeper and three tier AC coaches run throughout. Before boarding any of these, checking the current train schedule helps confirm platform numbers. Dehradun sometimes reassigns platforms during peak hours.
Mumbai And Western India Trains
Western India stays connected to Dehradun through a small set of long distance trains. Every one of these runs covers an area of more than a thousand km in one trip only. A bandra Terminus Dehradun Express goes out as train 19019 in the single direction. Historically this one was the main railway connecting Mumbai on this railway line. It has recently moved parts of its timetabled journey to Haridwar. The service of different first-class AC, sleeper coaches are still available. The train also covers through the states of Maharashtra Gujarat Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh after the main line.
Okha-Dehradun Express (19565 & 19566) superfast week train is running from Okha via Vadodara Ahmedabed Ajmer Kota Delhi and Dehradun to Okha & returning back via the same route. It goes to the total run of 1681 km in around 32 hours and passes through Rajkot Ahmedabad Kota and Delhi for passenger boarding. Sleeper, general unreserved and AC coaches are all available. Fares stay noticeably lower than flying the same route. Many Gujarat travellers find this the only direct rail option into Uttarakhand.
Kolkata And Eastern India Trains
Two well matched trains dominate the Howrah to Dehradun corridor. They are almost similar with regard to distance travelled and have almost the same time of journey. Upasana express has been named 13035 and 13036 while Kumbh express has been numbered as 13037 apart from 13038. It requires more than 90 hours, which is 93 to 99 hours precisely, to cover a distance of almost 1589 kilometers. In addition, they provide almost close services on a daily basis to the people of West Bengal.
Both trains carry the full range of classes. That spans first class AC down to general unreserved seating. Both pass through Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh before reaching Dehradun. A third option, the Doon Express, also links Kolkata with Dehradun. It runs on a separate weekly schedule, giving eastern travellers more flexibility. These journeys stretch well beyond a full day on the tracks. Packing food for part of the route is worth planning ahead.
Bihar, Eastern UP And South India Trains
The Muzaffarpur Dehradun Express carries numbers 15001 and 15002. It runs weekly and directly serves north Bihar. This region sees heavy seasonal travel toward the hills each year. The train has an amalgamation of air conditioned, sleeper and general class coaches.
Operating twice daily as numbers 15119 and 15120, the Varanasi Dehradun Express leaves Varanasi towards its destination covering 846 km in 21 to 22 hours approximately depending upon travel direction. The route threads through eastern Uttar Pradesh before curving north. No pantry car runs on this train. Most passengers carry their own meals or buy from platform vendors along the way.
South India gets a single but significant link. The Kochuveli Dehradun Superfast Express has been assigned two numbers 22659 (Delhi-Haridwar) & 22660 (Haridwar-Delhi). It is one of the longest train runs reaching these stations, it is scheduled at one time or the other to stop at almost all big or medium sized railway stations. This train travels coast to the mountainous regions via several states which makes it very interesting for travelers. If you are coming to Kochi via train (from Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh), you can get on at any of the major railway stations on the way instead of getting on at Kochuveli station itself.
Haridwar, Rishikesh And Local Passenger Trains
Not every train through Dehradun runs long distance. A cluster of short hop passenger and MEMU services link the station with Haridwar, Rishikesh and Roorkee. These run through most of the day. They mainly serve daily commuters, students and pilgrims making quick temple visits. Fares stay extremely low, since only general and unreserved seating is offered.
Several long distance trains also make brief halts at Haridwar and Roorkee. That effectively doubles them as short hop options for nearby travel. Locals often prefer these over buses during the Kanwar season, when road traffic around Haridwar slows to a crawl. Timings on passenger services shift more often than on express trains. Confirming departure times close to the travel date is worth the extra minute.
Food On Trains From Dehradun
Long journeys out of Dehradun, especially toward Kolkata, Mumbai or Kerala, can stretch past a full day on the tracks. Pantry cars exist on several premium and mail express services. Even so, the menu on board tends to repeat itself after the first meal. Many travellers now prefer ordering fresh food at major halts like Haridwar, Saharanpur or Moradabad. It beats relying only on onboard catering.
Ordering train food delivery ahead of a scheduled stop has become a common workaround. It enables the passengers to have hot food sent by the restaurant to them while on board, right at their coach seat. It is quite handy for trains like Upasana Express, Kumbh Express, and even Nanda Devi AC Express which often cross the usual meal timings, sometimes doubling up. Also, by reserving one’s food beforehand, the usual hustle of the vendors on the platform after a short stopover during a halt becomes unnecessary.
Conclusion
Dehradun railway station is the perfect link between the hills of Doon Valley and different parts of the country via trains. The western end of the route starts at Okha and through the eastern end passes over Howrah. Vande Bharat and Shatabdi trains offer travelers a relaxing way to get to Delhi. Jan Shatabdi and mail express services keep fares reasonable for longer trips. Long distance trains toward Mumbai, Kolkata, Bihar and South India fill in the rest. Short hop passenger services handle Haridwar and Rishikesh separately. Whichever route a traveller picks, checking timings and seat status before departure day helps. It makes the whole journey through Dehradun Railway Station considerably smoother.
