The fastest direct train to Dehradun (DDN) is the 22457 Anand Vihar Terminal-Dehradun Vande Bharat, leaving Anand Vihar Terminal (ANVT) at 17:50 and reaching DDN at 22:35 (4h 45m, 6 days a week, not Thursday). The 12055 New Delhi-Dehradun Jan Shatabdi leaves New Delhi (NDLS) at 15:20 and reaches DDN at 21:05 (5h 45m, daily).
NDA coaching for Delhi students
Live and train in Dehradun, the home of the Indian Military Academy. Students from Delhi join residential NDA, CDS and SSB batches with hostel and mess on campus.
FromDelhi
~231 km by road (estimate)
ToDehradun campus
For Delhi families
Everything that changes when you join from Delhi.
Local facts for families travelling to Dehradun: travel, exam centre and schools.
UTC (Uttarakhand Transport Corporation) lists several Dehradun ISBT-Delhi Kashmiri Gate routes, via Roorkee, Saharanpur, Noida Sector 62 and Karnal. Service class (ordinary, AC or Volvo) and timings are not verified, so check utconline.uk.gov.in.
Delhi was a UPSC NDA (II) 2026 centre, and a CDS (II) 2026 centre as well.
Nearest: Sainik School Rewari (Haryana), about 75 km in a straight line.
RIMC's admission page says one vacancy per State is generally allotted, with up to two for larger States, and its visible text gives no Delhi figure. From the December 2026 cycle applications are online through NTA (exams.nta.nic.in/RIMCEE/), the written test is held at NTA centres and the age window is 12½ to 14 years.
Rajputana Rifles Regimental Centre is at Delhi Cantonment.
Sources & verification
Facts verified on October 6, 2026. Train times must be re-checked on IRCTC/NTES before travel; road distance and drive time are routing estimates.
- https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/Notif-NDA-II-2026-Engl-200526.pdf
- https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/Notif-CDS-II-2026-Engl-200526.pdf
- https://rimc.edu.in/admission.aspx
- https://rimc.edu.in/notice.aspx
- https://www.sainikschoolsociety.in/our-schools
- https://www.sainikschoolsociety.in/our-schools/new-schools
- https://router.project-osrm.org/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Delhi
- https://erail.in/rail/getTrains.aspx?Station_From=ANVT&Station_To=DDN&DataSource=0&Language=0&Cache=true
- https://utconline.uk.gov.in/route.aspx
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajputana_Rifles
Admission
Four steps from enquiry to joining.
Counselling call
Tell us the class and the entry. We suggest the right batch and share the fee sheet on WhatsApp.
Campus visit or video tour
Visit the classrooms, hostel and mess, or ask for a live video tour if travelling is not possible yet.
Admission & documents
Fill the admission form, share the documents and pay the registration fee.
Joining day
Arrive in Dehradun; your room, kit list and timetable are ready on the first day.
Courses
What students from here join for.
NDA
National Defence Academy and Naval Academy (NDA and NA) Examination
For students after Class 12. Unmarried women can sit the same UPSC examination.
NDA-F
NDA Foundation Course with Class 11-12 schooling, hostel and mess
For students who have passed Class 10 and want schooling and NDA preparation in one programme.
NDA-CRASH
NDA one-month crash course
A short revision batch for candidates who have already covered the syllabus.
CDS
Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination: IMA, INA, AFA and OTA
For graduates and final-year degree students. Women can apply for OTA.
CDS-F
CDS Foundation Course
A longer, foundation-style CDS programme for degree students who start early.
AFCAT
Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT)
For graduates aiming at commissioned entries in the Indian Air Force.
SSB
Services Selection Board (SSB) interview preparation
For candidates who have an SSB call-up or are close to one.
TES
Army 10+2 Technical Entry Scheme (TES) and Navy 10+2 B.Tech Cadet Entry: SSB preparation
These entries are shortlisted on JEE (Main) marks, so the coaching here is the SSB.
MNS
Military Nursing Service (MNS) B.Sc Nursing entrance preparation
For women who want to join the B.Sc Nursing course of the Military Nursing Service.
IMU
Indian Maritime University Common Entrance Test (IMU-CET)
For Class 12 students aiming at IMU programmes and a career at sea.
MERCHANT
Merchant Navy entrance preparation
For Class 12 students exploring Merchant Navy entries through IMU and shipping-sector routes.
RIMC
Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) entrance preparation
For students in Class VII who want admission to Class VIII at RIMC, Dehradun.
SAINIK
All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISSEE) preparation
For students seeking Class VI or Class IX entry to a Sainik School.
RMS
Rashtriya Military Schools Common Entrance Test (RMS CET) preparation
For students aiming at Class VI or Class IX entry to a Rashtriya Military School.
AGNI
Agniveer (Army, Navy, Air Force) and Coast Guard entry preparation
For Class 10 and Class 12 candidates aiming at Agniveer and Coast Guard entries.
Questions from Delhi parents
Ask on WhatsAppHow long does it take to reach the academy from Delhi?
By rail it is 4h 45m on the Vande Bharat from Anand Vihar Terminal (six days a week, not Thursday) or 5h 45m on the daily Jan Shatabdi from New Delhi. By road it is about 231 km, roughly 3.3 hours in free-flowing traffic, so plan for longer. Re-check train times on IRCTC before booking.
Which Delhi station should we use?
The Vande Bharat starts at Anand Vihar Terminal and leaves at 17:50. The Jan Shatabdi starts at New Delhi and leaves at 15:20. Both end at Dehradun station, which is roughly 10 km from the academy by road.
Do Delhi students have to travel for the NDA exam?
No. UPSC listed Delhi as a centre for NDA (II) 2026 and CDS (II) 2026. Pick your centre on the application form and apply early, since allotment follows the order of application up to each centre's capacity.
Is there a Sainik School in Delhi?
Not on the Sainik Schools Society list. The nearest is Sainik School Rewari in Haryana, about 75 km away in a straight line. Entry is through the AISSEE conducted by NTA.
Can a Delhi student join after Class 10 and prepare for NDA alongside school?
Yes, through the NDA Foundation course, which combines Class 11 and 12 schooling, hostel and mess with NDA coaching. The fee is published on our Fee Structure page (/fee-structure/).
Admissions