New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the country's first Vande Bharat sleeper train from Malda in West Bengal on January 17, 2026. This train will run from Howrah to Guwahati (Kamakhya) and will connect Eastern India to the Northeast with fast and well-appointed rail service. There has been a demand for largest night travel on this route for a long time, which this new train is now going to fulfill.
Why so much discussion well-nigh the Vande Bharat Sleeper Train?
Till now Vande Bharat trains were running only with reclining seats. The inrush of the sleeper version will provide unconfined relief to passengers traveling long distances at night. The train will have modern coaches, well-appointed berths, low noise, largest wastefulness and new safety technology. Railways believes that this will not only make the Kolkata-Guwahati journey faster but will moreover make it increasingly comfortable.
Which projects will start in Malda?
The Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of rail and road projects worth well-nigh Rs 3,250 crore in Malda. These include a new rail line from Balurghat to Hili, modern freight hub at New Jalpaiguri, the upgrade of Siliguri loco shed, the modernization of maintenance part-way of Vande Bharat trains at Jalpaiguri and electrification of rail lines from Cooch Behar to Bamanhat and Boxirhat.
Which new trains will depart virtually?
On this occasion, four Amrit Bharat Express trains will be flagged off virtually. These trains will run from New Jalpaiguri to Nagercoil and Tiruchirappalli, and from Alipurduar to Bengaluru and Mumbai (Panvel). This will remoter modernize rail connectivity between North, South and Northeast India.
What is the significance of the Bodo program in Guwahati?
In the evening, the Prime Minister will shepherd the “Bagurumba Dwo 2026” event at Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati. In this, increasingly than 10,000 artists of the Bodo polity will together present the traditional Bagurumba dance. This flit reflects the harmony between nature, flowers, and human life and is considered the hallmark of Bodo culture.
What new souvenir will Assam get on January 18?
The next day the Prime Minister will perform the bhoomi pujan of the Rs 6,950 crore Kaziranga Elevated Corridor project. Also, Guwahati-Rohtak and Dibrugarh-Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) Amrit Bharat Express trains will be flagged off. This is expected to make travel between Northeast and North India easier.
