Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday virtually flagged off the inaugural Ramnagar-Dehradun Express, the first direct train connecting the Kumaon and Garhwal regions of Uttarakhand.
The train, launched in the presence of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami through video conferencing, fulfils a long-pending demand for direct rail connectivity between Ramnagar and Dehradun.
The Ramnagar-Dehradun Express will operate twice a week, every Wednesday and Friday. Train No. 15310 will depart Ramnagar at 5.50 am and reach Dehradun at 12.40 pm, while the return service, Train No. 15309, will leave Dehradun at 3.55 pm and arrive in Ramnagar at 11.30 pm. The train will halt at Kashipur, Roshanpur, Pipalsana, Moradabad, Najibabad and Haridwar.
The service will include AC 2-tier, AC 3-tier, AC Chair Car, Sleeper Class, Second Sitting and General coaches.
Speaking on the occasion, Vaishnaw said the new train would significantly improve rail connectivity between the Kumaon and Garhwal regions, providing faster and more convenient travel for passengers.
The minister also announced that Rishikesh railway station will be developed as a feeder station to ease congestion at Haridwar. He said a master plan is being prepared to create additional rail capacity and improve connectivity for passengers travelling to Haridwar and Rishikesh.
Vaishnaw said redevelopment work is progressing at 11 railway stations across Uttarakhand, including Dehradun, Haridwar Junction, Harrawala, Kashipur Junction, Kichha, Kotdwar, Roorkee, Kathgodam, Lal Kuan Junction, Ramnagar and Tanakpur.
He said the redevelopment of Haridwar and Dehradun stations is being planned with a focus on improving passenger amenities, particularly for poor and middle-class travellers, while ensuring that congestion does not increase.
The Railway Minister also said the recently introduced Tanakpur-Nanded Express has received a positive response from passengers and that Vande Bharat services in the region are performing well.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami described the launch of the Ramnagar-Dehradun Express as another major step towards strengthening rail connectivity in the state. He said work on the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag railway line is progressing rapidly and would become a key driver of Uttarakhand’s social, economic, religious and tourism development.
Dhami said Uttarakhand has received a record railway budget allocation of ₹4,769 crore, while railway projects worth over ₹40,000 crore are currently under implementation in the state. He added that several railway infrastructure projects and train services are being planned for Haridwar ahead of the upcoming Kumbh.
According to the Railways, the new train is expected to benefit residents of Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar, Haridwar and Dehradun districts in Uttarakhand, as well as Moradabad and Bijnor districts in Uttar Pradesh. It is also expected to improve access to tourist destinations such as Jim Corbett National Park, Girija Devi Temple and Sitavani, while providing better connectivity for pilgrims travelling to the Char Dham circuit through Haridwar and Dehradun.
