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Narasapuram-Chennai Vande Bharat Express Starts December 15 - Schedule, Stops & Fares
Narasapuram and coastal Andhra passengers will get a direct semi high‑speed link to Chennai from 15 December, when the existing MGR Chennai Central–Vijayawada Vande Bharat Express is extended to Narasapuram. The afternoon service will start from West Godavari and reach Chennai late at night, adding key halts across Bhimavaram, Gudivada, Vijayawada, Ongole, Nellore and Renigunta.
The Railway Board had earlier planned to begin the Narasapuram leg on 12 January, but Union Minister Bhupatiraju Srinivasa Varma pushed for an earlier launch to serve Sankranti‑season demand. Services will now begin this Sunday, 15 December, giving office‑goers and migrants along the Godavari and Nellore belts a faster option to reach Chennai.
Vande Bharat - Image Source: PTI
Narasapuram–Chennai Vande Bharat schedule and stops
According to the minister’s published timetable, train number 20678 will depart Narasapuram at 14:50 hours. It will then halt at Bhimavaram, Gudivada, Vijayawada, Tenali, Ongole, Nellore, Gudur and Renigunta before reaching MGR Chennai Central at 23:45 hours. The extension uses the existing Chennai–Vijayawada Vande Bharat rake and maintains its evening arrival slot in Chennai.
The detailed down‑direction timings from Narasapuram to Chennai, as shared by Srinivasa Varma and railway sources, are given below. Passengers have been advised to check final platform numbers and any operational changes on official railway enquiry channels or the IRCTC app before travel, especially during the initial weeks of the extended service.
| Station | Arrival | Departure |
|---|---|---|
| Narasapuram (NS) | – | 14:50 |
| Bhimavaram | 15:19 | 15:21* |
| Gudivada | 16:04 | 16:06* |
| Vijayawada Jn (BZA) | 16:50 | 17:00* |
| Tenali Jn | 17:19 | 17:21* |
| Ongole | 18:30 | 18:32* |
| Nellore | 19:39 | 19:41* |
| Gudur | 20:49 | 20:51* |
| Renigunta Jn | 21:54 | 21:56* |
| MGR Chennai Central (MAS) | 23:45 | – |
*Halt durations are indicative based on usual Vande Bharat patterns; passengers should verify on enquiry systems closer to travel. The up‑direction morning service from Chennai to Narasapuram is expected to mirror the existing 05:30 departure to Vijayawada, with revised timings beyond Vijayawada once the detailed working timetable is released.
Frequency, fares and booking for the extended service
The Narasapuram–Chennai Vande Bharat will keep the current six‑days‑a‑week pattern, remaining off on Tuesdays. Existing fares on the Vijayawada–Chennai stretch are about ₹1,430 in AC Chair Car and ₹2,640 in Executive Chair Car, including catering. Through fares from Narasapuram are likely to be slightly higher and will appear on IRCTC once charts are updated. For now, passengers from Narasapuram, Bhimavaram, Gudivada and Tenali can search by train numbers 20677 and 20678 while booking.
How the new link changes coastal Andhra–Chennai travel
The extension is particularly significant for West Godavari workers employed in Chennai’s manufacturing corridors and service sector. Until now, many depended on overnight expresses via Vijayawada or buses from Bhimavaram and Narasapuram, often facing longer journey times and peak‑season crowding. A same‑day afternoon departure with late‑night Chennai arrival allows commuters to work a half‑day locally and still reach offices or hostels before midnight.
Nellore and Gudur passengers also gain an extra premium daytime option alongside existing expresses, which could ease pressure on conventional chair‑car trains towards Chennai. At Chennai Central, travellers can switch to Metro, suburban EMU services and MTC buses for last‑mile connectivity to IT corridors, industrial suburbs and residential clusters. In Narasapuram and Bhimavaram, APSRTC buses and autos will bridge nearby mandals to the Vande Bharat origin station.
Railway officials expect the extension to improve rake utilisation, replacing earlier idle stabling time at Vijayawada with a commercially useful Narasapuram leg. For passengers across West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, Nellore and Tirupati regions, the new schedule promises faster, more predictable trips to Tamil Nadu’s capital just before the Sankranti rush, reshaping regular business and family travel along the coastal belt.
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