India, July 18 -- Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw has virtually flagged off the inaugural service of the Ramnagar-Dehradun Express, marking the commencement of the first-ever direct Express train connecting Ramnagar with Dehradun.

Chief Minister of Uttrakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami was also present on the occasion via video conferencing.

The new train fulfills a long-pending demand of the people of the region and will significantly strengthen rail connectivity between the Kumaon and Garhwal regions of Uttarakhand.

On the return journey, Train No. 15309 will depart Dehradun at 15:55 hrs and reach Ramnagar at 23:30 hrs. The train will halt at Kashipur, Roshanpur, Pipalsana, Moradabad, Najibabad and Haridwar en route.

The trai...