Prime Minister to lay foundation stones for four major rail projects in West Bengal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to West Bengal and Assam from Saturday. The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate various rail and road projects worth over Rs 3,250 crore in Malda and various development projects worth over Rs 830 crore in Singur, Hooghly. Mr. Modi will flag off India's first Vande Bharat Sleeper train between Howrah and Guwahati (Kamakhya). The Prime Minister will also perform the Bhumi Pujan for the Kavach and the Qazi Nagar Elevated Corridor project in Assam, worth over Rs 6,950 crore. He will also flag off two new Vande Bharat Express trains between Guwahati (Kamakhya) - Rohatak and Dibrugarh - Lucknow (Gomti Nagar).

On January 17, the Prime Minister will visit Malda and flag off India's first Vande Bharat Sleeper train between Howrah and Guwahati (Kamakhya) from Malda Town Railway Station. He will then dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone for multiple rail and road infrastructure projects worth over Rs 3,250 crore. On January 18, at around 3 pm, the Prime Minister will inaugurate, lay the foundation stone, and flag off various development projects worth around Rs 830 crore in Singur, Hooghly district.

The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for four major rail projects in West Bengal, including a new rail line between Balurghat and Hili, modern freight maintenance facilities at New Jalpaiguri, upgradation of the Siliguri locomotive shed, and modernization of the Vande Bharat train maintenance facilities in the Jalpaiguri district. These projects will strengthen passenger and freight operations, improve logistics performance in North Bengal, and create employment opportunities in the region.

The Prime Minister will also dedicate to the nation the project for electrification of rail lines between New Coochbehar - Bamanhat and New Coochbehar - Boxirhat, which will make train operations faster, cleaner, and more energy-efficient. The Prime Minister will virtually flag off four new Vande Bharat Express trains - Jalpaiguri - Nagercoil Amrit Bharat Express; New Jalpaiguri - Tiruchirappalli Amrit Bharat Express; Alipurduar - SMVT Bengaluru Amrit Bharat Express; and Alipurduar - Mumbai (Panvel) Amrit Bharat Express. These trains will promote affordable and reliable long-distance rail connectivity.

The Prime Minister will also flag off two new train services equipped with LHB coaches - Radhikapur - SMVT Bengaluru Express and Balurghat - SMVT Bengaluru Express. These trains will provide direct, safe, and comfortable travel facilities to the region's youth, students, and IT professionals, and strengthen connectivity to major IT and employment hubs like Bengaluru.

The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for the rehabilitation and four-laning of the Dhopguri-Flakata section of National Highway-31D, which will improve regional road connectivity and facilitate the movement of passengers and goods in North Bengal.

These projects will play a crucial role in building modern infrastructure and better connectivity, and will strengthen the Eastern and North-Eastern regions as key drivers of India's development. The Prime Minister will inaugurate, lay the foundation stone, and flag off various development projects worth around Rs 830 crore in Singur, Hooghly. The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for the Extended Port Gate System at Balagarh, which includes an Inland Water Transport (IWT) terminal and a road-over-bridge.

The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the modern electric catamaran in Kolkata, which is one of the six electric catamarans being built by the Kochi Shipyard for inland water transport. The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the Jiragram-Bargopinathpur-Maipara new rail line. The Prime Minister will flag off three Amrit Bharat Express trains - Kolkata (Howrah) - Anand Vihar Terminal Amrit Bharat Express; Kolkata (Sealdah) - Banaras Amrit Bharat Express; and Kolkata (Santragachi) - Tambaram Amrit Bharat Express.

On the evening of January 17, at around 6 pm, the Prime Minister will attend a traditional Bodo cultural program at the Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati. The Prime Minister will perform the Bhumi Pujan for the Qazi Naga Elevated Corridor project, worth over Rs 6,950 crore, on January 18. The Prime Minister will flag off two new Amrit Bharat Express trains - Guwahati (Kamakhya) - Rohtak Amrit Bharat Express and Dibrugarh - Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) Amrit Bharat Express.

The Prime Minister will participate in the "Bagurumba Dhaw" 2026 program, a historic cultural event celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the Bodo community. Over 10,000 artists from the Bodo community will perform the Bagurumba dance in unison. The Bagurumba is one of the folk dances of the Bodo community, which reflects a deep connection with nature. It symbolizes the blooming of flowers and represents harmony between human life and the natural world.

The Prime Minister will perform the Bhumi Pujan for the Qazi Naga Elevated Corridor project, which is an eco-friendly national highway project. The project includes a 35 km long elevated wildlife corridor that will pass through the Kaziranga National Park, a 21 km bypass section, and the existing highway section of NH-715 will be widened from two to four lanes. The project aims to improve regional connectivity while ensuring the protection of the park's rich biodiversity.

The project will pass through the districts of Nagaon, Karbi Anglong, and Golaghat and will significantly improve connectivity to Upper Assam, particularly Dibrugarh and Tinsukia. The elevated wildlife corridor will ensure unobstructed movement of wild animals and reduce human-wildlife conflicts. The project will also improve road safety, reduce travel time and accident rates, and facilitate the growing traffic of passengers and freight. The project includes the construction of bypasses at Jakhlabandha and Bokakhat, which will reduce traffic congestion in towns, improve urban mobility, and enhance the quality of life for local residents.

During the program, the Prime Minister will flag off two new Amrit Bharat Express trains - Guwahati (Kamakhya) - Rohtak Amrit Bharat Express and Dibrugarh - Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) Amrit Bharat Express. These new train services will strengthen rail connectivity between the North-East and North India, enabling safer and more convenient travel for people.