Bhubaneswar, July 6: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday flagged off the Nanded-Mumbai and Tanakpur-Nanded Express trains and inaugurated the extension of the Tanakpur-Pilibhit train service up to Shahjahanpur through video conferencing from Rail Sadan in Bhubaneswar.

Addressing the event through video conference, Vaishnaw said the newly launched train services would improve rail connectivity and benefit passengers, particularly the Sikh community in the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

"There was a long-standing demand for a train from Tanakpur to Nanded Sahib, Hazur Sahib. It will benefit the large Sikh community in the Terai regions of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Everyone wishes to stay connected to the 'Panj Takht', and this railway connectivity will fulfil that sentiment," the Union Minister said.

He also said the Railways would examine the demand for providing stoppages at Khatima and Banbasa.

Speaking about the Nanded-Mumbai Express, the Railway 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 service has been extended to Shahjahanpur and said the Tanakpur-Agra service, which was earlier operated as a special train, has now been regularised.

Highlighting the achievements of the Railways over the past 12 years, Vaishnaw said around 37,000 kilometres of new railway tracks have been laid, while railway electrification has reached 99.6 per cent.

The Minister also said work on the Bullet Train project is also progressing rapidly and the service is expected to begin next year. He added that the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors have been completed, while a new east-west freight corridor connecting Dankuni in West Bengal with Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh will also be developed.

Vaishnaw said the Railways continues to focus on affordable travel for low-income and middle-class families, adding that around 12,000 general coaches are being manufactured, of which nearly 4,000 have already been deployed in trains.

He also said around 15,000 special trains were operated during the summer season ending June 30, calling it a historic initiative.

The Minister further announced that more than 300 special trains will be operated during the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri, while over 100 special trains will run during the Onam festival in Keralam.