Delhi, 27 November (H.S.): The Gorakhpur-Pilibhit Express train (15009 Down/15010 Up) has been extended to Izzatnagar in Bareilly, with plans to soon provide rail connectivity from Pilibhit to Amritsar. Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw along with Union Minister of State for Electronics & IT and Commerce & Industry Jitin Prasad flagged off the extended service virtually from Rail Bhawan, New Delhi.

The ceremony was held at railway stations in Pilibhit, Bareilly, and Puranpur, with local leaders Babu Ram Paswan and Chhatrapal Gangwar present.

In his address via video link, Minister Vaishnaw announced forthcoming steps to further enhance rail connectivity from Pilibhit to Amritsar and other cities in Punjab. He highlighted the Modi government’s increased rail budget allocation for Uttar Pradesh—from ₹1,109 crore in 2014 to ₹19,858 crore.

Efforts include developing 157 stations as ‘Amrit Bharat’ stations, complete electrification of routes covering 5,272 kilometers laid since 2014, construction of 1,660 flyovers and underpasses, and providing Wi-Fi connectivity at 771 stations. Additionally, Uttar Pradesh currently operates 34 Vande Bharat Express and 26 Amrit Bharat Express trains.

Vaishnaw praised the collaboration with the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government for completing 48 pending railway projects, emphasizing cooperative land acquisitions and environmental approvals. The railways have upgraded the Lakhimpur-Pilibhit and Pilibhit-Shahjahanpur lines to broad gauge with disaster-resilient infrastructure.

Minister of State Jitin Prasad expressed gratitude for the minister’s generosity in supporting Pilibhit’s rail development, acknowledging the appreciation of the local populace.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar