Patna: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Friday inaugurated the new weekly train service between Chhapra Junction railway station and Anand Vihar Terminal.
During the event, the Railway Minister also virtually flagged off two additional train services connecting Maul to Delhi and Zahirghat to Varanasi.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Saran MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Maharajganj MP Janardan Singh Sigriwal, among other leaders.
Addressing the gathering, Vaishnaw announced that Bihar would receive more than 200 new trains over the next seven to eight years as part of a major railway expansion plan.
He said the state is witnessing unprecedented growth in railway infrastructure and that projects worth more than Rs 1.15 lakh crore are currently underway across Bihar.
The Railway Minister revealed that the Delhi–Varanasi–Patna bullet train corridor has received approval.
According to him, once operational, the high-speed rail project will reduce travel time between Patna and Delhi to just 4 hours and 41 minutes.
He further stated that there are plans to extend the corridor up to Siliguri in the future.
Vaishnaw said Bihar’s railway budget has increased significantly under the leadership of Narendra Modi, enabling rapid modernisation and expansion of rail infrastructure throughout the state.
Highlighting Bihar’s growing role in railway manufacturing, the minister said the locomotive produced at the Marhaura Diesel Locomotive Factory is being exported to Guinea.
He noted that four locomotives were exported to Guinea last year through Mundra Port, while a major agreement for 140 locomotives was finalised after a delegation of Guinean ministers visited the Marhaura facility in May 2025.
Under the Rs 3,000-crore export project, locomotives manufactured in Bihar will be supplied to Guinea over the next three years.
Speaking at the event, Samrat Choudhary said Bihar is moving towards a new identity in the fields of information technology, industry, and infrastructure.
He stated that two airports are being developed in Chhapra and that the government plans to establish 10 Green Cities across the state.
Saram MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy described the new Chhapra–Delhi train as the fulfilment of a long-pending demand of the region, noting that passengers earlier had to travel to Sonpur or Varanasi to access direct rail connectivity to Delhi.
He said the new service would significantly improve travel convenience for people from Saran and the surrounding districts.
(IANS)
