New Delhi: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday virtually flagged off the new Dohrighat–Aunrihar passenger train service, marking a major boost to rail connectivity in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
The launch event was attended by Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Arvind Kumar Sharma, MP Rajeev Rai and senior railway officials.
The new passenger train has been introduced to improve daily connectivity for people in Mau and Ghazipur districts. The service will halt at Sadat, Jakhanian, Dullahapur, Mau, Indara, Kopaganj, Ghosi, Amila and Muradpur stations.
Vaishnaw also announced that the train service would soon be extended to Varanasi, providing direct connectivity to one of the country’s major cultural and commercial hubs.
The train will operate with an eight-coach rake aimed at offering affordable and comfortable travel for daily commuters, students, traders and pilgrims.
Addressing a public gathering virtually, the Railway Minister highlighted the religious and cultural significance of Dohrighat, describing it as a place associated with Lord Shri Ram and Lord Parashuram.
Vaishnaw further announced a new express train connecting Purvanchal with Delhi through the northern Ganga corridor. The proposed route will connect Chhapra, Ballia, Mau, Azamgarh, Shahganj, Jaunpur, Sultanpur, Lucknow, Kanpur, Aligarh, Ghaziabad and Anand Vihar.
The minister said the Indara–Dohrighat metre gauge line, originally built in 1904, was converted into broad gauge after 2014 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He noted that the Prime Minister had flagged off services on the converted line in December 2023.
Highlighting railway development in Uttar Pradesh, Vaishnaw said the state’s railway budget allocation had increased from ₹1,109 crore in 2014 to nearly ₹20,012 crore now. He added that railway projects worth around ₹1.2 lakh crore are currently underway across the state.
