Railway Min flags off two new trains in NE states, extends services of 2 others

NEW DELHI: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday flagged off two new trains in the Northeast region, extended the services of two others as well as inaugurated a Vistadome coach of a train in Jammu and Kashmir.

One of the new trains connects Guwahati and Dullabcherra in Assam, and it was simultaneously flagged off by the railway minister through video-conferencing from Delhi and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati, the Ministry of Railways said in a statement.

The other new train is a diesel multiple unit (DEMU) that will connect Agartala and Sabroom in Tripura, it said.

The service of the Guwahati-Secunderabad Express has been extended beyond the Guwahati station to connect Silchar in Assam to Secunderabad in Telangana. Similarly, the service of the Kamakhya-Lokmanya Tilak Express from Mumbai has been extended to Tripura capital Agartala. The Kamakhya station is in Guwahati.

In Jammu and Kashmir, the Vistadome coach in the Budgam-Banihal train was inaugurated by Vaishnaw through video-conferencing from Delhi and the Union Territory’s Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, at the Nowgam railway station.

The coach has rotating seats and glass roof and windows that offer a 360-degree view.

Speaking on the occasion, the railway minister said, “In the last nine years, Northeastern states and Jammu Kashmir have changed a lot and the change is discernible on the ground.”

“The prime minister (Narendra Modi) has visited the Northeast region more than 60 times which is higher than the visits of prime ministers before him,” Vaishnaw said.

He added that “after the abrogation of Article 370, the development of Jammu and Kashmir is moving at a fast pace. Recently, meetings of the G20 were held in Jammu and Kashmir.”

Various railway projects are underway in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast, the minister said. The railways has allotted an annual budget of around Rs 10,269 crore for the Northeast, while earlier it was around Rs 2,122 crore, he said.

“Railway projects are progressing swiftly in Northeastern states. Two Vande Bharat trains are also planned for the Northeast.

In Jammu and Kashmir, work has been completed on the Chenab Bridge, Anji Bridge, and tunnels have been completed except in some portions. The railways is working for the overall transformation of Northeastern states,” Vaishnaw said.

Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Sinha said that the Vistadome coach of the Banihal-Budgam train will attract tourists in large numbers. There has been a substantial boost in tourism in recent times, he said.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha thanked Prime Minister Modi and the railway minister for augmenting rail connectivity in the state.