Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various rail and road infrastructure projects worth ₹5,470 crore from Jalandhar. These projects aim to strengthen connectivity, improve passenger convenience, and accelerate economic development in the region.
The Prime Minister flagged off the Amritsar (Chheharta)-Varanasi Sant Ravidas Express, establishing a direct rail link between two revered spiritual and cultural centres. He also inaugurated 75 redeveloped railway stations in 20 states under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, with modern, passenger-friendly facilities added to the stations at a cost of about ₹1,570 crore. Four of these redeveloped stations are in Punjab: Jalandhar Cantonment, S A S Nagar (Mohali), Sri Muktsar Sahib, and Sri Anandpur Sahib railway stations.
Mr. Modi also inaugurated the Daulatpur Chowk-Kartoli new rail line, constructed at about ₹830 crore as part of the Nangal Dam-Talwara-Mukerian New Rail Line Project. This project will significantly strengthen rail connectivity between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, benefiting the districts of Hoshiarpur and Una. The new rail line will provide connectivity to important religious destinations such as Shri Anandpur Sahib and Maa Chintpurni Temple, while enhancing access to remote areas by providing passengers with a faster, safer, and more reliable mode of transportation.
The Prime Minister also flagged off the Kartoli-Ambala train service, which will improve connectivity across Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. Additionally, he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of national highway projects worth over ₹3,070 crore, including the 30.9-km-long ‘Package 6’ of the four-lane greenfield Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway and the development of the 25.2-km-long six-lane greenfield Southern Ludhiana Bypass.
Mr. Modi’s visit to Jalandhar is being seen as a political outreach ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly polls, which the BJP is preparing to fight on its own. This is his second visit to Jalandhar after he visited the Dera Sachkhand Ballan in February this year. The Prime Minister was also seen with Sachkhand Ballan Dera chief Niranjan Dass at the Jalandhar Cantt railway station.
