New Rail Era for North Bengal and the Northeast Begins This Week

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit West Bengal and Assam on January 17-18, 2026. On January 17, he will travel to Malda where he will flag off India’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper Train, which will run between Howrah and Guwahati (Kamakhya).

The flag-off ceremony is scheduled to take place at Malda Town Railway Station at around 12:45 PM. He will also virtually flag off the return journey of the train from Guwahati to Howrah.

Later in the day, at around 1:45 PM, the Prime Minister will dedicate multiple rail and road infrastructure projects to the nation and lay their foundation stones in a public function in Malda. These projects, worth more than Rs 3,250 crore, are aimed at strengthening connectivity and boosting development in West Bengal and the North-Eastern region.

The Vande Bharat Sleeper Train is designed to meet the growing transportation needs of modern India. Fully air-conditioned, the train is expected to provide an airline-like travel experience at affordable fares. It will also reduce travel time on the Howrah–Guwahati (Kamakhya) route by about 2.5 hours, giving a significant boost to religious travel and tourism.

As per reports, the ceremony in Malda has commenced, and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is attending the event from Guwahati. Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya and Central Minister Pabitra Margherita are also present at the event.

On January 18, the Prime Minister will flag off two new Amrit Bharat Express trains, connecting Guwahati (Kamakhya) with Rohtak and Dibrugarh with Lucknow (Gomti Nagar). These new services are expected to enhance rail connectivity between the Northeast and northern India, offering safer and more convenient travel.

In addition, he will lay the foundation stone for four major railway projects in West Bengal. These include a new rail line between Balurghat and Hili, next-generation freight maintenance facilities at New Jalpaiguri, upgradation of the Siliguri Loco Shed, and modernisation of Vande Bharat train maintenance facilities in Jalpaiguri district. These initiatives are expected to strengthen passenger and freight operations, improve logistics efficiency in North Bengal, and create employment opportunities.

The Prime Minister will also dedicate the electrification of rail lines between New Cooch Behar–Bamanhat and New Cooch Behar–Boxirhat, a move that will enable faster and more energy-efficient train operations.

He will also virtually flag off four new Amrit Bharat Express trains: New Jalpaiguri–Nagercoil, New Jalpaiguri–Tiruchirappalli, Alipurduar–SMVT Bengaluru, and Alipurduar–Mumbai (Panvel). These services aim to improve long-distance rail connectivity, supporting the travel needs of common citizens, students, migrant workers, and traders.

The Prime Minister will also flag off two new train services with LHB coaches: Radhikapur–SMVT Bengaluru Express and Balurghat–SMVT Bengaluru Express. These trains will provide direct and comfortable connectivity for the region’s youth, students, and professionals to major employment hubs like Bengaluru.

On the road infrastructure front, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for the rehabilitation and four-laning of the Dhupguri–Falakata section of National Highway-31D. This project is expected to improve road connectivity and facilitate smoother movement of passengers and goods in North Bengal.

On January 18, at around 3 PM, he will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for various development projects worth around Rs 830 crore at Singur in Hooghly district.

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