Vande Bharat train to be flagged off from Ferozepur today

Following a persistent demand by the residents of this border district, the maiden journey of Vande Bharat will be finally flagged off tommorrow by Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu from the Ferozepur Cantonment station. It is going to be a “double bonanza” for rail commuters as the Intercity Express has also been extended till Ferozepur, which will connect the border town with the national capital, giving a boost to tourism and trade in the region.

Ferozepur Division DRM Sanjeev Kumar said the Vande Bharat Express will start from Ferozepur at 7.55 am and travel via Bathinda, Dhuri, Patiala, Ambala, Kurukshetra and Panipat before reaching Delhi at 2.35 pm. Its return journey will commence from Delhi at 4 pm. It will reach Ferozepur at 10.30 pm. The train will operate six days a week, except Wednesdays.

The Delhi-Moga Intercity Express which starts its journey from Delhi at 7 am, will reach Ferozepur at 3 pm. From here, it will start its return journey at 3.35 pm and reach New Delhi at 11.35 pm.

These new trains will connect five military stations en route from Ferozepur Cantonment to Delhi via Faridkot, Bhatinda, Patiala, Ambala and eventually Delhi. Sources said thousands of jawans and officials posted in these locations will find it convenient to travel to their homes or places of posting further ahead of Delhi.

Senior BJP leader Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi said on Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off four new 'Vande Bharat Express' trains, including one from Ferozepur to Delhi, on Saturday. He said several major trains had been started from this border district in the recent times. "Earlier this year, train services to Haridwar and Huzur Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra, were started and another new train to Rameshwaram was launched. Moreover, the Ferozepur-Chandigarh train which had been lying defunct was also resumed," said Sodhi.

Thanking PM Modi and Union Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnav, Bittu said the long-pending demand of residents of the area has finally been fulfilled. “These trains will not only benefit the passengers but will also give significant boost to trade in the region," said Bittu.