The Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, informed today that devotees from Himachal Pradesh travelling to Prayagraj will now be able to reach the city of confluence, Prayag, directly. The Railways has approved to extend the Indore-Chandigarh Express all the way to Una, Himachal Pradesh. Shri Anurag Thakur expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji and Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw ji for this approval.

Shri Anurag Thakur said, “Being the representative of Hamirpur parliamentary constituency and Himachal at the Centre, I am always committed to the development of Devbhoomi and better connectivity here. Prayagraj, the city of confluence, is a major religious site, and a large number of people from Himachal undertake pilgrimages there. However, travellers faced difficulties due to the lack of direct train connectivity from Himachal to Prayagraj. I had personally met Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw ji and requested him to ensure that the travellers of Himachal could go directly to Haridwar by train. I am delighted to inform you that the Railway Minister has approved the extension of the Indore-Chandigarh Express, which used to run twice a week, all the way to Una. This train will now run from Una to Indore, providing significant convenience to passengers. I express my gratitude to Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji and Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw ji for this initiative."

Shri Anurag Thakur stated, "Train number 19307/08, Indore-Chandigarh Express, will depart from Indore at 5:30 in the morning and arrive in Una at 8:35 next morning. Similarly, it will depart from Una at 1:50 in the afternoon and reach Indore at 3:05 in the afternoon the next day. The timetable will be released soon."

Shri Anurag Thakur further stated, "Recently, the Railway Minister has extended the train from Una, Himachal Pradesh to Saharanpur till Haridwar following my request. Prior to this, on February 17, I obtained approval for the construction of a bridge over the Chakki River, which will soon restore rail service between Pathankot and Jogindernagar. Additionally, the rail track between Kangra and Nurpur will also be restored soon. I have obtained approval for this as well after meeting with the Hon’ble Railway Minister."

Shri Anurag Thakur remarked, "Development is our top priority, and the Modi government has left no stone unturned in bestowing gifts upon Una. Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji gifted Himachal Pradesh with the country's fourth Vande Bharat train, for whose inauguration Modi ji himself visited Una. It is because of BJP that the most modern train of India is now operational in Himachal. The Modi government is working diligently, from introducing new trains to developing essential infrastructure, to ensure that there are no connectivity issues in Himachal Pradesh. For the fiscal year 2023-24, Rs. 1838 crore has been allocated for railway expansion in Himachal Pradesh. In the budget for 2023-24, Rs. 1000 crore has been approved for the strategic importance of the Bhanupali-Bilaspur-Beri rail line, Rs. 450 crore for the Chandigarh-Baddi rail line, and Rs. 452 crore for the Nangal-Talwara rail line. This approval of Rs. 1838 crore for railway expansion is 17 times more than that of the UPA regime from 2009 to 2014. Currently, work is underway on four projects covering 258 kilometers in the state, with an estimated cost of Rs. 19,556 crore."

Shri Anurag Thakur stated, "For years, there has been a demand in the Gagret Assembly constituency of Una district in my parliamentary constituency for various infrastructural improvements. The approval for a 500-meter long double-lane bridge over the Loharli Khad, the inauguration of the Daulatpur Chowk railway station, electrification of the railway line up to Amb railway station and the expansion of the foot overbridge, approval for a second platform and foot overbridge at Una railway station, expansion of the old bridge, approval for new railway trains, along with stops for major trains, including the Churaru Takrala Ambala Cantt-Daulatpur Chowk Passenger Special Train and the Raimehatpur Saharanpur-Una Himachal Passenger Express, are significant gifts from the Modi government for the entire state of Himachal Pradesh."

Shri Anurag Thakur further said, "From 2014 to March 2019, the work on the Amb-Andaura, Chintpurni Marg, and Daulatpur Chowk railway stations was completed during the tenure of the Modi government. Today, a total of 13 trains connect this district to various parts of the country from Una and Amb Andaura railway stations. Sabarmati railway station also has daily train services from Una. The announcement of the Una-Hamirpur railway line was reiterated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Investor Meet held in Dharamshala in 2019. In fact, this railway line was considered economically and socially significant thrice, and steps were reiterated for its construction in the Lok Sabha rail budget presentations from 2014 to 2019. However, this announcement gained momentum when Prime Minister Modi ji, considering Himachal Pradesh as his second home, recognized the importance of this railway line and personally announced it and also directed the Railway Ministry to fulfil the pre-construction formalities to commence the construction to strengthen the state's economy."

 “This railway line will enhance religious and tourism activities in the state by connecting places like Maa Jwala Mukhi, Maa Chintpurni, Maa Brajeshwari, Maa Chamunda, etc., thereby contributing to the revenue of the state. Moreover, it will benefit the youth serving in the Indian Army and paramilitary forces from areas such as Sarkaghat and Dharampur tehsils in Hamirpur and Mandi districts respectively, as well as Palampur, Baijnath, Jaisinghpur tehsils in Kangra district by providing them with access to the nearest railway stations for travel. The Himachal Pradesh government will contribute 1500 crore rupees and the Central government 4300 crore rupees for the construction of the Una-Hamirpur railway line.”

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Saurabh Singh

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