Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday flagged off the Chhapra-Delhi Express and inaugurated the Mau-Delhi Express, while also launching the extension of the Doharighat-Aurihar passenger service up to Varanasi City via video conferencing. The events took place during a function at Chhapra Junction, where Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary joined him.
Commitments Fulfilled
Addressing the gathering, Vaishnaw stated that the new services fulfill commitments made during his visit to Doharighat on May 11. He highlighted the Centre's focus on rail infrastructure in Bihar, noting that annual railway allocations have increased from around Rs 1,000 crore before 2014 to nearly Rs 10,000 crore now. He also discussed station redevelopment, new rail lines, track doubling projects, and the proposed Delhi-Varanasi-Patna bullet train corridor.
Enhanced Connectivity
The minister said the new Chhapra-Delhi Express would improve connectivity for passengers from Chhapra, Ballia, Mau, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Sultanpur, Lucknow, Kanpur, and Delhi. Chief Minister Choudhary described the occasion as historic for Bihar, stating that the new services would strengthen connectivity with the national capital and neighboring Uttar Pradesh. He noted that railway projects worth over Rs 1 lakh crore are currently underway in the state and welcomed the proposed bullet train network.
Additional Services
During the event, the railway minister and the Bihar CM also launched the extension of a MEMU service, boosting rail connectivity across Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. They inaugurated the 14055/14056 Mau-Anand Vihar Terminal-Mau Express, strengthening rail links between eastern Uttar Pradesh and the national capital.
