India added nine more Amrit Bharat Express trains to its massive rail network during the weekend. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to flag off
five Amrit Bharat Express trains, two from Assam's Nagaon and three from West Bengal's Singur. On Saturday, PM Modi had launched a slew of rail and road infrastructure projects for the state from Malda, and flagged off the first set of Vande Bharat sleeper trains between Howrah and Guwahati, along with four new Amrit Bharat Trains. While PM Modi on Sunday virtually flagged off two Amrit Bharat Express trains – Dibrugarh-Gomti Nagar (Lucknow) and Kamakhya-Rohtak, he will shortly flag off three Amrit Bharat trains from Singur, connecting Kolkata to Delhi, Banaras and Chennai, strengthening the rail connectivity of West Bengal with other states. PM Modi flagged off 2 Amrit Bharat Trains from Assam - Dibrugarh-Gomti Nagar (Lucknow) and Kamakhya-Rohtak. These trains will significantly enhance long-distance rail connectivity between Assam and multiple states, including West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Haryana, reduce travel time, and provide modern passenger amenities. The Prime Minister had flagged off four Amrit Bharat Express trains connecting New Jalpaiguri with Nagercoil and Tiruchirappalli, and Alipurduar with SMVT Bengaluru and Mumbai (Panvel) on Saturday.
Routes of 9 New Amrit Bharat Trains
The new Amrit Bharat trains will connect:
- Guwahati (Kamakhya)-Rohtak
- Dibrugarh-Lucknow (Gomti Nagar)
- New Jalpaiguri-Nagercoil
- New Jalpaiguri-Tiruchirappalli
- Alipurduar-SMVT Bengaluru
- Alipurduar-Mumbai (Panvel)
- Kolkata (Santragachi)-Tambaram
- Kolkata (Howrah)-Anand Vihar Terminal
- Kolkata (Sealdah)-Banaras
Conceived as a special offering of the Amrit Kaal, the trains deliver seamless non-air-conditioned long-distance sleeper-class travel at fares of around Rs 500 per 1,000 kilometres, with short- and medium-distance journeys priced proportionally lower, connecting regions often separated by geography and opportunity. Since its launch in December 2023, 30 Amrit Bharat Express trains have been operational so far.
PM Modi arrived at Kaliabor from Guwahati in the final leg of his two-day visit to the state, performed ‘Bhoomi Poojan’ of the Kaziranga project. The corridor is aimed at ensuring safe wildlife movement across the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, reduce road accidents on National Highway-715, and boost ecotourism, while generating local employment opportunities.
It forms part of the four-laning of the Kaliabor-Numaligarh section of NH-715, and includes around 34.45 km of elevated wildlife-friendly corridors, along with bypasses at Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat,
