Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate key sections of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway to the nation on Friday, a project expected to halve travel time between Delhi and Katra from about 14 hours to nearly six hours, while reducing the Delhi-Amritsar journey from around eight hours to four hours.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), PM Modi will dedicate the 157.92-km four-lane Packages 1 to 5 of the Greenfield expressway, built at a cost of around ₹9,680 crore, during his visit to Jind, Haryana. Later in the day, he will inaugurate the 30.9-km-long Package 6 of the expressway in Jalandhar, Punjab.
The expressway forms part of the 667-km Delhi-Amritsar-Katra corridor and is expected to ease congestion on NH-44 (GT Road), improve connectivity for pilgrims travelling to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine and promote industrial and logistics development along the route.
The Prime Minister will begin his visit in Jind, where he will flag off India’s first hydrogen-powered train on the Jind-Sonipat route. Developed using indigenous technology, the 10-coach, 3,200 HP train is powered by hydrogen fuel cells that generate electricity with water vapour as the only emission, resulting in zero carbon emissions. With its launch, India joins a select group of countries operating hydrogen-powered trains.
PM Modi will also lay the foundation stone and dedicate development projects worth around ₹14,700 crore at Eklavya Stadium in Jind and address a public gathering.
Among the projects in Haryana, the Prime Minister will dedicate and lay the foundation stone for National Highway projects worth over ₹12,470 crore. These include the 33.81-km Ambala-Kala Amb Highway on NH-7 and NH-344, aimed at improving connectivity between Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, and the 40.60-km Jind-Gohana Greenfield Highway on NH-352A, which will reduce travel time between Jind and Gohana from about two hours to 40 minutes.
He will also lay the foundation stone for the Hansi-Barwala Brownfield Highway Project and dedicate the elevated railway track at Kurukshetra to ease traffic congestion and enhance road safety.
In addition, PM Modi will dedicate the Pandit Neki Ram Sharma Government Medical College in Bhiwani and the Maharishi Chyawan Medical College and Rao Tula Ram Hospital in Narnaul. He will also lay the foundation stone for the Sikh Museum in Kurukshetra, which will showcase the history and legacy of the Sikh Gurus through modern technology.
Later in Chandigarh, the Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for projects worth over ₹4,700 crore across the healthcare, education and road infrastructure sectors.
The healthcare projects include the inauguration of the Advanced Mother and Child Centre and the Advanced Neurosciences Centre at PGIMER, Chandigarh, along with the foundation stone for a 150-bed Critical Care Block under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission.
In the education sector, PM Modi will inaugurate infrastructure projects at Punjab Engineering College and Government College, Sector 46. He will also inaugurate the six-lane Greenfield Highway connecting IT City and Kurali and lay the foundation stone for the PR-7 Spur of the Ambala-Chandigarh Greenfield Highway.
In Jalandhar, the Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for rail and road infrastructure projects worth over ₹5,470 crore.
He will inaugurate 75 redeveloped railway stations across 20 states under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, including Jalandhar Cantt. Developed at a cost of about ₹1,570 crore, the stations have been upgraded with modern passenger amenities while incorporating local heritage and architectural elements.
PM Modi will also inaugurate the Daulatpur Chowk-Kartoli rail line, constructed at a cost of about ₹830 crore under the Nangal Dam-Talwara-Mukerian New Rail Line Project. In addition, he will flag off the Kartoli-Ambala and Amritsar (Chheharta)-Varanasi train services, inaugurate Package 6 of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway and lay the foundation stone for the Southern Ludhiana Bypass.
According to the PMO, the bypass will reduce travel time and distance between Ludhiana and Bathinda while improving connectivity with other major economic centres.
(With inputs from ANI)
