Dehradun (Uttarakhand): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurarted the Lalkuan-Bandra Superfast train from his official residence in Dehradun on Monday through a virtual event.

“Today, with the blessings of Neem Karoli Baba, we have fulfilled the long-standing demand for train service from Lalkuan to Bandra. I congratulate everyone on this achievement,” Dhami said. He noted that the new train service would greatly benefit travelers from Mumbai heading to the Kumaon region, including Haldwani, Almora, and Pithoragarh. “I am sincerely grateful to Prime Minister Modi and the Railway Minister for their support,” he added.

The Chief Minister highlighted that this service would provide devotees visiting places like Baba Kainchi Dham and Jageshwar with better travel options. He expressed optimism about the future of Indian Railways, stating, “Under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, we are entering a golden age for the railways. Made in India trains like Vande Bharat represent our self-reliance and modernization.”

Dhami also mentioned that the dream of connecting the mountains by rail would be realized with the upcoming Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail line, with survey work on the Tanakpur-Bageshwar rail line already completed and construction to begin soon.

“Efforts will be made to expand rail services from Uttarakhand to major cities like Kashi and Ayodhya. Our double-engine government is implementing many schemes to connect every citizen with the development mainstream,” he said.

Member of Parliament Ajay Bhatt echoed the sentiment, describing the direct rail service from Lalkuan to Mumbai as a long-awaited demand now fulfilled. “This new service will benefit the entire Kumaon region, as well as tourists visiting various religious and scenic sites here,” he added.

The new train, numbered 22544, will depart Lalkuan on Mondays at 07:45 AM and arrive at Bandra Terminus on Tuesdays at 08:30 AM. It will travel through major stations such as Rudrapur City, Rampur, Moradabad, Ghaziabad, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Mathura, Kota, Vadodara, and Surat. On its return journey, it will leave Bandra Terminus on Tuesdays at 11:00 AM and reach Lalkuan on Wednesdays at 01:15 PM.

For passenger convenience, the train will feature one 2 AC coach, two 3 AC coaches, three AC economy class coaches, six sleeper class coaches, and four general class coaches. All coaches are LHB, ensuring safety and comfort for passengers.

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