Shimla (Gurpreet Singh): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi to discuss strengthening the rail infrastructure, expanding connectivity, and accelerating key rail projects across the hill state. Highlighting the unique geographical terrain and the immense religious and tourism significance of Uttarakhand, the Chief Minister presented a comprehensive set of proposals aimed at accommodating the massive influx of tourists and devotees for the upcoming Maha Kumbh in 2027 and the annual Char Dham Yatra. Minister Vaishnaw assured the Chief Minister of prompt action and gave theoretical approvals to several immediate operational requests.
A major focus of the discussion was enhancing connectivity between Mumbai and Uttarakhand, given the large diaspora of Uttarakhand residents living in Maharashtra and the year-round travel of pilgrims to spiritual centres like Shri Kainchi Dham and Jageshwar Dham. Chief Minister Dhami pointed out that the current frequency of trains connecting Mumbai to Haridwar and Ramnagar is insufficient, causing severe booking difficulties during peak holiday and festival seasons. He urged the Railway Minister to introduce a new Vande Bharat or Superfast Express service between Mumbai and Dehradun, extend the Dehradun-Kota rail service to Mumbai via Surat and Vadodara, and increase the frequency of Ramnagar-Mumbai and Haridwar-Mumbai services to at least three times a week.
The meeting also addressed key infrastructure changes and regional project funding. Chief Minister Dhami requested the formal closure of the old Rishikesh railway station so its land could be transferred to the state government, enabling the Uttarakhand Investment and Infrastructure Development Board (UIIDB) and the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) to collaborate on the Rishikesh Ganga Corridor master plan. Furthermore, he requested that the central government bear the entire cost of the Kichha-Sitarganj-Khatima new rail line project while addressing the local farmers’ alignment concerns, and urged for the expedited commissioning of the strategic Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail line.
In a significant development for transit and regional security, the Railway Minister granted in-principle approval for brief train stoppages at the Banbasa railway station for the Triveni Express, Mathura Express, and Dorai Express. Located near the India-Nepal border, Banbasa is a crucial trade hub and houses a prominent unit of the Indian Army’s Rajput Regiment. Additionally, Minister Vaishnaw agreed to fast-track the track-doubling work between Raiwala and Dehradun on the Haridwar-Dehradun line, approved the beautification of eight regional stations, and agreed to reopen railway crossing 18C between Khatima and Majhola Pilibhit to facilitate public movement and support local tourism at the Crocodile Park.
