Bhubaneswar, Jul 6: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday announced that more than 300 special trains will be operated for the upcoming Rath Yatra in Puri to facilitate the movement of lakhs of devotees expected to attend the annual chariot festival.
The announcement was made during an event held at Rail Sadan in Bhubaneswar.
The Railway Minister also highlighted that around 15,000 special trains were operated across the country during the summer travel season ending June 30, describing it as a historic initiative by Indian Railways. In addition to the Rath Yatra services, he announced that over 100 special trains would be operated during the Onam celebrations in Kerala.
During the programme, Vaishnaw virtually flagged off the Nanded–Mumbai Express and the Tanakpur–Nanded Express, besides inaugurating the extension of the Tanakpur–Pilibhit train service up to Shahjahanpur.
Addressing the gathering via video conference, the Minister said the new train services would strengthen rail connectivity and particularly benefit the Sikh community in the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
He noted that there had been a long-standing demand for direct rail connectivity from Tanakpur to Hazur Sahib, one of Sikhism's five Takhts, adding that the new service would help devotees remain connected to the sacred pilgrimage site.
Vaishnaw also said the Railways would examine demands for additional stoppages at Khatima and Banbasa, and assured that the proposal would be considered in the coming days.
Speaking about the Nanded–Mumbai Express, the Minister said the train would improve connectivity for the Washim, Hingoli, and Basmat regions, benefiting passengers from Vidarbha and Marathwada.
He further announced that the Tanakpur–Pilibhit train has now been extended to Shahjahanpur, while the Tanakpur–Agra service, which was earlier operated as a special train, has been regularised.
Highlighting the achievements of Indian Railways over the past 12 years, Vaishnaw said nearly 37,000 kilometres of new railway tracks have been laid, while railway electrification has reached 99.6 per cent, describing it as an unprecedented expansion of the country's rail infrastructure.
The Minister also said work on India's Bullet Train project is progressing rapidly and the service is expected to commence next year. He added that while the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors have already been completed, a new east-west freight corridor connecting Dankuni in West Bengal with Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh will also be developed.
Emphasising affordable travel, Vaishnaw said Indian Railways continues to prioritise services for low-income and middle-class passengers. He informed that around 12,000 general coaches are currently being manufactured, with nearly 4,000 coaches already deployed across the railway network to enhance passenger capacity and accessibility.
