Malda event marks rail modernisation drive, boosts connectivity of East and Northeast
BuzzBytes / New Delhi / Malda
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple rail and road infrastructure projects worth more than ₹3,250 crore at Malda in West Bengal, marking a major push towards rail modernisation and improved connectivity in the eastern and north-eastern regions of the country.
Addressing a public gathering, the Prime Minister said that from Malda, a renewed momentum has been given to West Bengal’s development journey. He noted that the projects inaugurated and launched would make travel easier, strengthen trade and commerce, and create new employment opportunities, particularly for the youth, through modern train maintenance and logistics facilities.
A key highlight of the event was the introduction of India’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper Train. Describing it as a significant milestone, Modi said the launch represents another decisive step towards the modernisation of Indian Railways. “Vande Bharat sleeper trains are now being introduced in India. They reflect our vision of what rail travel in a developed India should look like,” he said, adding that long-distance journeys would now become more comfortable, faster and world-class.
The Prime Minister flagged off the Howrah–Guwahati (Kamakhya) Vande Bharat Sleeper Train from Malda Town Railway Station, noting that the train connects the land of Maa Kali in Bengal with the land of Maa Kamakhya in Assam. He said passengers he interacted with at the station described the experience as extraordinary, recalling how Indians once admired foreign trains and wished for similar facilities at home—an aspiration now being realised through indigenous technology.
Highlighting the broader transformation of Indian Railways, Modi said more than 150 Vande Bharat trains are currently running across the country. He announced the introduction of four new Amrit Bharat Express trains linking New Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar with destinations such as Nagercoil, Tiruchirappalli, Bengaluru and Mumbai, strengthening connectivity between North Bengal and southern and western India. These services, he said, would particularly benefit pilgrims, students, migrant workers and middle-class families.
The Prime Minister also underlined India’s growing self-reliance in rail manufacturing, stating that the country now produces more locomotives than the US and Europe and exports passenger and metro coaches to several nations. This, he said, is generating employment and strengthening India’s technological standing.
Among other projects, Modi laid the foundation stone for four major railway works in West Bengal, including the Balurghat–Hili new rail line, next-generation freight maintenance facilities at New Jalpaiguri, upgradation of the Siliguri loco shed, and modernisation of Vande Bharat maintenance infrastructure in Jalpaiguri district. He also dedicated the electrification of key rail sections in North Bengal and flagged off new LHB-coach trains connecting the region with Bengaluru.
In the road sector, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the four-laning and rehabilitation of the Dhupguri–Falakata section of National Highway-31D, aimed at easing passenger and freight movement in North Bengal.
Governor of West Bengal C V Ananda Bose, Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw, Shantanu Thakur and Sukanta Majumdar, along with other dignitaries, were present at the event.
The projects are expected to play a crucial role in strengthening infrastructure, reducing travel time, boosting tourism and trade, and positioning eastern and north-eastern India as key growth engines of the national economy.
