Railways Launches New Express Trains To Boost Pilgrimage, Travel Across Three States

Bhubaneshwar/Pilibhit: In a historic development, the Indian Railways on Monday dedicated the Nanded-Mumbai and Tanakpur-Nanded Express trains to the nation and the extended Tanakpur-Pilibhit-Shahjahanpur passenger train.

The carriages were flagged off by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw through video conferencing from Bhubaneswar in Odisha while Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Union Ministers Ravneet Singh, Ajay Tamta and Jitin Prasada joined virtually.

Vaishnaw, who is in Odisha to review the railways’ preparations for the upcoming Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri and to flag off two Odisha-origin trains later in the day, launched the new services from Rail Sadan in Bhubaneswar.

Addressing the event, the Minister said that the launch of this new rail service would improve connectivity and benefit pilgrims from Uttarakhand and the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh wishing to visit Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib, Nanded, a sacred Sikh pilgrimage site in Maharashtra.

“There was a consistent demand from our Sikh brothers and sisters living in the Terai region. A train service connecting Nanded via Washim and Hingoli to Mumbai has also been started today, which will improve connectivity for several districts in Vidarbha and Marathwada with Mumbai. Some train services connecting Pilibhit, Agra and Tanakpur have also been launched,” he said.

Vaishnaw said the Railways would examine the demand for providing stoppages at Khatima and Banbasa. “If it becomes possible, we will definitely provide a stoppage for this train at Khatima and Banbasa,” he said.

People gathered in Uttar Pradesh for flagging off ceremony (ETV Bharat)

The Minister also announced that the Tanakpur-Pilibhit train service had been extended up to Shahjahanpur in UP and said the Tanakpur-Agra service, which earlier operated as a special train, had now been regularised.

He also highlighted the achievements of the Railways over the past 12 years, saying that around 37,000 km of new tracks had been laid, while electrification had reached 99.6 per cent.

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