Mumbai, July 15 -- Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that Indian Railways (IR) will operate more than 300 special trains for the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra in Odisha and over 100 special trains during the Onam festival in Keralam. He flagged off the Nanded-Mumbai and Tanakpur-Nanded Express trains and inaugurated the extension of the Tanakpur-Pilibhit service up to Shahjahanpur via video conference from Rail Sadan in Bhubaneswar. He noted that the summer season, which concluded on 30 June, had seen a record 15,000 special trains.
Vaishnaw stated that the newly launched services are intended to improve rail connectivity and to benefit passengers, particularly the Sikh community in the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, noting longstanding demand for a direct link from Tanakpur to Nanded Sahib Hazur Sahib. He added that the Railways would examine requests to provide stoppages at Khatima and Banbasa and that any feasible additions would be implemented in the coming days. The minister also indicated that regularisation and extensions reflect efforts to respond to regional travel needs.
He said the Nanded-Mumbai Express is expected to enhance connectivity for the Washim, Hingoli and Basmat areas, improving access for passengers from Vidarbha and Marathwada, and that the Tanakpur-Agra connection which operated earlier as a special service has now been regularised. The extension of the Tanakpur-Pilibhit service to Shahjahanpur was described as part of a wider recalibration of routes to meet demand and to strengthen regional links. Operational changes were presented as part of routine planning by the ministry.
Vaishnaw highlighted broader achievements of the Railways over the past 12 years, saying that about 37,000 kilometres of new railway tracks have been laid and that electrification has reached 99.6 per cent. He characterised these developments as unprecedented in the country's history and as driven by focused policy and investment. The announcements were framed as measures to provide affordable and safe services to citizens while enhancing the national network.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.