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Ferozepur to Delhi in less than 7 hours with Vande Bharat launch
PM Modi virtually inaugurates fastest train on route that departed from Ferozepur at 7.35am to reach New Delhi at 2.35pm; on return journey will start from national capital at 4pm and arrive in Ferozepur at 10.35pm.
Punjab’s Malwa region got its first Vande Bharat Express on Saturday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually launching the fastest train on the Ferozepur-New Delhi route that completes its journey in six hours and 40 minutes.
Union minister of state for railways Ravneet Singh Bittu said the new train, 26461/26462, departs from Ferozepur at 7.35am and reaches New Delhi at 2.35pm. The return journey will start from New Delhi at 4pm and end at Ferozepur at 10.35pm. The train, which will ply daily on the route barring Wednesday, will halt at Faridkot, Bathinda, Dhuri, Patiala, Ambala Cantt, Panipat and New Delhi in both directions.
Besides enhancing connectivity between Delhi and major cities of Punjab, the new service will boost trade, tourism, employment and contribute to the socio-economic development of the border areas.
In another key decision, the railways extended the route of the New Delhi-Moga Intercity Express (train number 22485/22486) up to Ferozepur from Saturday.
“This is the first Vande Bharat train to serve Malwa, which has 69 of the 117 assembly constituencies of Punjab. Ferozepur is a border district. It was crucial to connect Malwa to Delhi. This Vande Bharat train operates at 160 km/h, which will boost tourism and trade and ease people-to-people interaction. The train is equipped with the KAVACH safety system, the most advanced safety feature, eliminating the risk of accidents, along with many other modern technologies,” Bittu said at the inaugural ceremony at Ferozepur Cantonment railway station. He travelled on the train from Ferozepur to Ambala Cantt.
Divisional railway manager Sanjeev Kumar, BJP national executive member Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma, Ferozepur MP Sher Singh Ghubaya, former Congress MLA Parminder Singh Pinki and state BJP general secretary Rakesh Rathore were prominent among those present on the occasion.
Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Modi and Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for introducing the train in the region, Sodhi termed it a historic milestone and a turning point in Ferozepur’s development journey. “This historic step will put Ferozepur on a new track of progress and benefit the entire Malwa region. It will accelerate growth in trade, education, industry, and tourism. The long-pending demand of local residents for a direct train to Delhi has finally been fulfilled,” he said.
Local entrepreneur Harsh Arora said: “Previous governments ignored Ferozepur, but the Modi government has proved development is its priority. With the new Vande Bharat, passengers will enjoy a faster, safer, and more comfortable travel experience.”
Prime Minister Modi inaugurated four new Vande Bharat Express trains from Varanasi. They will operate on the Varanasi-Khajuraho, Lucknow-Saharanpur, Ferozepur-Delhi, and Ernakulam-Bengaluru routes.
