Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav and CM Pushkar Singh Dhami flagged off the Ramnagar-Dehradun Express. This is the first direct express train connecting Kumaon and Garhwal. At present it will run two days a week and later there are plans to run it daily.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami virtually flagged off the new Ramnagar-Dehradun Express on Saturday.
Speaking on the occasion, Vaishnav said, “Ramnagar-Dehradun Express will strengthen the rail connectivity between the Kumaon and Garhwal regions of Uttarakhand. This is the first direct express train between the two cities and is expected to provide faster, more convenient and reliable rail connectivity for the people of Uttarakhand.”
New bridge between Kumaon and Garhwal
Vaishnav further said, “Kumaon and Garhwal are two very strong pillars of Uttarakhand. This train serves to connect these two regions, acting as a new bridge between Kumaon and Garhwal. Continuous efforts have been made to achieve this, and the result is that the train is now able to run at least two days a week – which is a very good news… Currently, there is a lot of traffic jam in Moradabad and Haridwar; Otherwise, the aim was to run this train on a daily basis. Once these projects are completed to better connect Kumaon, we will make arrangements to run the train on a daily basis, and there was a detailed discussion in this regard. Capacity is not available – yet there is huge demand to travel to Haridwar and Rishikesh from all parts of the country (North, East, West, Central and South) – a master plan will be prepared based on those discussions…”
Lauding the efforts of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami for expanding railway infrastructure in Uttarakhand, the Union Railway Minister said that 20 new and extended train services have been started to connect the state to different parts of the country and 11 railway stations are being modernized in Uttarakhand. He also thanked the Chief Minister for extending full support to the expansion of the railway network across the state.
Milestone in development journey: CM Dhami
Speaking on the occasion, CM Dhami described the new rail service as an important milestone in the development journey of Uttarakhand. He said that this train is not just a new railway service but an important lifeline that will strengthen connectivity, development and economic opportunities between Kumaon and Garhwal regions.
Thanking PM Narendra Modi and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav for the new rail service, he said, “Under the visionary leadership of the Prime Minister, the railway infrastructure in the state is expanding rapidly. The Ramnagar-Dehradun Express will run via Kashipur, Roshanpur, Pipalsana, Moradabad, Najibabad and Haridwar, providing seamless rail connectivity between Kumaon, Garhwal and large parts of western Uttar Pradesh. He said that this The service will facilitate safe, convenient and timely travel for passengers, students, businessmen, employees and tourists.”
New era of modernization in railways
CM Dhami said, “Under the leadership of PM Modi, Indian Railways has entered a new era of modernization with significant improvements in safety, speed, technological advancement and passenger amenities.” He said indigenous trains like Vande Bharat and NaMo Bharat have demonstrated India’s technological capabilities and self-reliance, while the Railways is also rapidly moving towards greener and more advanced technologies.
Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail project in final stage
The Chief Minister said that the ambitious Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail project is in its final stages and will provide a major boost to the social, economic, religious and tourism sectors of the state. He said Uttarakhand has already received two Vande Bharat trains and has been allocated a record railway budget of Rs 4,769 crore for 2026-27. Railway projects worth about Rs 39,000 crore are in various stages of implementation in the state. He further said that the coordinated efforts of the Central and State Governments are accelerating development in all sectors including roads, railways, health, education, digital connectivity and infrastructure. CM Dhami further said, “The double engine government has doubled the pace of development and is committed to making Uttarakhand one of the leading states of the country.” (ANI)
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