| Mahamana Express | |
|---|---|
 New Delhi-Varanasi Mahamana Express | |
| Overview | |
| Status | Active |
| First service | 22 January 2016; 9 years ago (2016-01-22)[1] |
| Current operator | Indian Railways |
| Website | http://indianrail.gov.in |
| On-board services | |
| Classes | AC 1st Class, 2 Tier, 3 Tier and Sleeper |
| Seating arrangements | Yes |
| Sleeping arrangements | Yes |
| Catering facilities | On-board catering |
| Entertainment facilities | Electric outlets Reading Lights & Curtains (In some classes) |
| Baggage facilities | Underseat / Overhead racks |
| Other facilities | Bedrolls (In 1A, 2A, 3A classes only) Passenger Information System |
| Technical | |
| Rolling stock | ICF rakes (Modified Interiors) and normalLHB rakes |
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)broad gauge |
| Track owner | Indian Railways |
Mahamana Express is a superfast express series of trains operated byIndian Railways inIndia. Initially it was started usingICF coaches with substantially improved facilities as compared to other superfast express trains in India. As of June 2025, only one Mahamana Express services use the original upgraded ICF coaches which is the Bhopal Khajuraho Mahamana Express. The others have been converted to regularLHB coaches as in most other trains in India.[2][3]
This train is named in the honour ofMadan Mohan Malaviya (Mahamana), a freedom fighter and an education reformer who establishedBanaras Hindu University, Varanasi.[4]
Mahamana Express was launched in 2016 with improved facilities for passengers compared to other superfast express trains in India. The first Mahamana Express connectedDelhi andVaranasi. The first run saw a 15% hike in fare due to the upgraded facilities.[3][5]
The train was introduced with Model Rakes modified byIndian Railways underMake In India scheme. The coaches contain some modern facilities like:[6]
| Number | Route | First Run | Rake |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22417/18 | Varanasi - New Delhi Mahamana Express | 22 January 2016 | LHB |
| 22163/64 | Bhopal - Khajuraho Mahamana Express | 13 July 2017 | ICF |
| 20903/04 | Ekta Nagar - Varanasi Mahamana Express | 22 September 2017 | LHB |
| 20905/06 | Ekta Nagar - Rewa Mahamana Express | 09 March 2019 | LHB |
| 19319/20 | Veraval - Indore Mahamana Express | 29 June 2018[7] | LHB |
| 19333/34 | Indore - Bikaner Mahamana Express | 26 January 2019[7] | LHB |
