Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple rail and road infrastructure projects worth ₹3,250 crore in Malda, aimed at improving connectivity across West Bengal and strengthening links with the North-Eastern region.
During his visit to Malda Town Railway Station, the Prime Minister flagged off India’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper Train on the Howrah-Guwahati (Kamakhya) route. The fully air-conditioned sleeper service has been designed to offer a comfortable and economical travel option for long-distance passengers. The new train is expected to reduce travel time by around 2.5 hours, providing a boost to tourism and religious travel between eastern India and the Northeast.
PM Modi also laid the foundation stone for four major railway projects in the state, including a new rail line between Balurghat and Hili, next-generation freight maintenance facilities at New Jalpaiguri, upgradation of the Siliguri Loco Shed, and modernization of Vande Bharat maintenance infrastructure in Jalpaiguri district. These projects are expected to enhance passenger and freight operations, improve logistics efficiency, and generate employment in North Bengal.
The Prime Minister further dedicated to the nation the electrification of the New Coochbehar-Bamanhat and New Coochbehar-Boxirhat rail sections, enabling cleaner, faster, and more energy-efficient train operations.
In addition, PM Modi virtually flagged off four new Amrit Bharat Express trains connecting New Jalpaiguri with Nagercoil and Tiruchirappalli, Alipurduar with SMVT Bengaluru, and Alipurduar with Mumbai (Panvel). The services aim to provide affordable and reliable long-distance connectivity for students, migrant workers, and traders.
Two new LHB-coach train services – Radhikapur-SMVT Bengaluru Express and Balurghat-SMVT Bengaluru Express – were also flagged off, offering direct and safer connectivity to major employment hubs such as Bengaluru.
On the road infrastructure front, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the rehabilitation and four-laning of the Dhupguri-Falakata stretch of National Highway-31D, a key project expected to improve road connectivity and facilitate smoother movement of passengers and goods in North Bengal.
