Terming the launch of the new train service a 'Diwali gift', Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said, "It was a long pending demand of the Ballia people to introduce a direct train between Ballia and Delhi which has now been fulfilled on the auspicious occasion of Diwali."
Prabhu flagged off the train through video-conferencing from here in the presence of Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha and senior railway officials.
The Ballia-Anand Vihar superfast express train will leave from Anand Vihar every Saturday, and from Ballia every Sunday. It will cover 887 km in about 16 hours.
Comprising 16 coaches-- AC-1, AC-2, AC-3, Sleeper and General Class-- the train will have stoppages at Khurja, Aligarh, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Gyanpur Road, Manduadih, Ghazipur City and Karimuddinpur enroute both ways.