Overview
- From Malda, the Prime Minister launched the Howrah–Guwahati Vande Bharat Sleeper and virtually flagged the return Kamakhya–Howrah service.
- Indian Railways said the 16-coach, fully air-conditioned train with about 823 berths and Kavach safety will cut the route’s journey time by roughly 2.5 hours, with indicative fares near ₹2,300 (3A), ₹3,000 (2A) and ₹3,600 (1A).
- At the Malda programme, Modi dedicated and laid foundation stones for rail and road works exceeding ₹3,250 crore, including a new Balurghat–Hili line, electrification in North Bengal, maintenance upgrades, and four-laning of the Dhupguri–Falakata NH-31D section.
- He also virtually flagged four Amrit Bharat Express trains linking New Jalpaiguri with Nagercoil and Tiruchirappalli and Alipurduar with SMVT Bengaluru and Mumbai (Panvel), along with two new LHB-coach express services to Bengaluru.
- The visit moves to Assam for a mass Bagurumba performance in Guwahati and a scheduled bhoomi pujan for the ≈86 km Kaziranga elevated corridor worth about ₹6,950 crore, featuring roughly 35 km of elevated wildlife passage, plus additional Amrit Bharat services from Dibrugarh and Kamakhya.