Patna: Bihar is set to receive eight new trains, including four Amrit Bharat services, as part of the central government’s efforts to improve connectivity in the state. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav announced on July 7 that the Amrit Bharat Express will run daily between Patna and New Delhi, enhancing travel convenience for passengers on this busy route.
A weekly Amrit Bharat Express will also operate between Darbhanga and Lucknow, and another weekly service will run from Malda Town to Lucknow. Additionally, Saharsa will be connected to Amritsar with an Amrit Bharat train. A new long-distance train between Jogbani in Seemanchal and Erode in South India is also set to begin operations.
The minister stated that Bihar ranks among the top states for operating Vande Bharat trains, and these new additions reflect the Prime Minister’s commitment to expanding rail connectivity. Vaishnav also laid the foundation stone for several railway projects in Samastipur, including the 53-km Bhagalpur-Jamalpur third line costing Rs 1,156 crore, doubling of the 104-km Bakhtiyarpur-Rajgir-Tilaiya line at Rs 2,017 crore, and the 177-km Rampur Hat-Bhagalpur line at Rs 3,000 crore.
In addition, two Software Technology Parks of India will be inaugurated soon in Pataliputra and Darbhanga, built at a cost of Rs 53 crore and Rs 10 crore respectively. Rail operations between Pipra and Triveniganj are expected to begin by August or September, and three passenger trains will also be launched on the Araria-Galgalia route in the coming months.
The Railway Minister highlighted that the railway budget for Bihar has increased tenfold in the past 11 years to Rs 10,000 crore, enabling completion of many pending projects. He added that an annual recruitment calendar has been implemented to ensure timely appointments within the railways.
