Bhubaneswar

Union 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.

"The demand that has come for Khatima and Banbasa will be examined fully in the next few days. If it becomes possible, we will definitely provide a stoppage for this train at Khatima and Banbasa," Vaishnaw said.

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.

"In past 12 years, an effort for transformation of the railways is going on. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given special attention to the railways, due to which today about 37,000 km of new railway tracks have been built. Never before in India's history has such development of railways taken place. This is a very big achievement for the country and was a very big need for the country. Along with this, electrification of the railways has reached 99.6%," he said.

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.

"Special attention is being given to the fact that railways is the ride of the poor and middle-class families. That's why a lot of attention has been given to increasing our affordable services as much as possible. Instead of premium services, the focus is more on affordable services. And if you see, the work of manufacturing about 12,000 general coaches is going on. Out of those, about 4,000 general coaches have been attached and deployed in trains," he said.

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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.