PM Modi flags off Northeast’s first Vande Bharat Express

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off Northeast India's first Vande Bharat Express train via video-conferencing and added that it will boost tourism, and enhance connectivity.

“Today is a big day for the rail connectivity of the entire North East including Assam. This Vande Bharat Express will make the life of the people living here easier and this will also give a boost to the tourism sector of the state,” said PM Modi.

Connecting Guwahati with New Jalpaiguri, the train will help save about an hour of journey time, when compared with the current fastest train connecting the two places. Vande Bharat will cover the journey in 5 hrs 30 mins, while the current fastest train takes 6 hrs 30 mins to cover the same journey.

“Three works related to the connectivity of North East are going on. North East is getting the first Made in India Vande Bharat. This is the third Vande Bharat connecting West Bengal and electrification work on about 425 km of track in Assam and Meghalaya has been completed," added PM Modi.

The train will run six days a week and will stop at six stations: New Alipurduar, Kokrajhar, New Bongaigaon, and Kamakhya, as well as junctions in New Jalpaiguri and Guwahati.

The train will leave New Jalpaiguri at 6.10 AM and arrive in Guwahati at midday. Vande Bharat Express will depart Guwahati at 4.30 PM and arrive in New Jalpaiguri around 10.20 PM.

The Guwahati- NJP Vande Bharat Express will cover the journey from Guwahati to New Jalpaiguri in 5 hours 30 minutes, while the current fastest train( Dibrugarh-New Delhi Rajdhani Express) takes 6 hours 30 minutes to cover the same journey.

The state-of-the-art Vande Bharat Express will provide people of the region the means to travel with speed and comfort. 

The Guwahati-NJP Vande Bharat Express(Train No-22228) will start at 16:30 from Guwahati and will reach NJP at 22.00 after covering a distance of 409 kilometres. The train will stop at Kamakhya, New Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, New Alipurduar, New Coochbehar and culminate at NJP.

The train will arrive in Kamakhya at 16.40 and depart at 16.42, arrive in New Bongaigaon at 18.35, depart at 18.36, arrive in Kokrajhar at 18.56, depart at 18.57, arrive in New Alipurduar at 19.48, depart at 19.49, arrive in New Cooch Behar at 20.02, depart at 20.03 and reach NJP at 22.00.

(With inputs from agencies)