Railway Minister Mr. Ashwini Vaishnaw flags off new train services in UP, UK and Maha; announces major rail push
- IBEF
- July 7, 2026
Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology Mr. Ashwini Vaishnaw flagged off the Nanded-Mumbai Express and the Tanakpur-Nanded Express, while inaugurating the extension of the Tanakpur-Pilibhit train service to Shahjahanpur through video conferencing. The new services are expected to enhance regional connectivity across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra, benefiting passengers and improving access to key religious and commercial destinations. The Tanakpur-Nanded Express fulfils a long-standing demand of the Sikh community in the Terai region by providing direct connectivity to Hazur Sahib, while the Nanded-Mumbai Express will improve transport links for Washim, Hingoli and Basmat in Maharashtra. The Tanakpur-Agra service has also been regularised after operating as a special train. The Ministry of Railways will further assess the feasibility of providing additional stoppages at Khatima and Banbasa to improve passenger convenience.
The Ministry also highlighted the rapid transformation of India's railway infrastructure over the past 12 years, with around 37,000 km of new railway tracks laid and electrification reaching 99.60%. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project is progressing steadily and is expected to commence operations next year, while the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors have been completed. Work is also underway on new east-west freight corridors connecting Dankuni with Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. To improve affordable travel, around 4,000 of the 12,000 general coaches under production have already been deployed on trains. Indian Railways operated over 15,000 special trains during the summer season ending June 30 and will run more than 300 special trains for the Jagannath Rath Yatra and over 100 for the Onam festival. Additionally, railway projects worth Rs. 90,000 crore (US$ 9.46 billion) are currently under implementation in Odisha, reinforcing the government's commitment to strengthening transport infrastructure and regional connectivity.
Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.
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