CHANDIGARH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today virtually dedicated 75 redeveloped railway stations from all across the country as he inaugurated the newly renovated 100-year-old British-era Jalandhar Cantonment railway station in Punjab under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.
The projects will ensure an improved passenger experience and, at the same time, reflect the spirit of `Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi'. He also flagged off the high-speed Chheharta (Amritsar)-Varanasi Sant Ravidas Express, thus fulfilling a long-pending demand of the Ravidassia community for a direct train ahead of Guru Ravidas' 650th Parkash Purab celebrations at his birthplace, Seer Govardhanpur in Varanasi, which will connect two vibrant religious and cultural centres of India.
This is his second visit to Jalandhar in six months, which is seen as the BJP's political outreach while setting the tone for the crucial 2027 state assembly elections.
Addressing the gathering after inaugurating the Jalandhar station and dedicating 75 other renovated railway stations, Modi, wearing a green turban, said that Jalandhar is witnessing a celebration of development. He recalled that he had earlier visited the city for the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Ravidas Ji.
Modi also said that he flagged off the country's first hydrogen train from Jind earlier in the day and laid the foundation stone for a grand Sikh Museum in Kurukshetra, which he said would help preserve the Guru tradition and pass on the wisdom of the Sikh Gurus to future generations.
He said that the Centre remains fully committed to Punjab's development despite the absence of a BJP government in the state and added that the NDA government is undertaking major connectivity and infrastructure projects across the country, including several in Punjab, and is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the state's progress.
PM Modi interacted with Dera Ballan Head Sant Niranjan Dass and schoolgirls before flagging off both trains. Sant Niranjan Dass is the spiritual leader of Dera Sachkhand Ballan, who has been conferred the Padma Shri for his contributions to spirituality and social service.
He inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of rail and road infrastructure projects worth Rs 5,470 crore in Jalandhar, marking a major development push in Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. The projects include the redevelopment of 75 railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme and are aimed at improving connectivity, enhancing passenger amenities and boosting economic growth in the region.
Four of these redeveloped stations are in Punjab: Jalandhar Cantonment, Mohali, Muktsar and Anandpur Sahib. He also flagged off the Kartoli-Ambala service, improving connectivity across Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.
He also inaugurated the new Daulatpur Chowk-Kartoli rail line, which is constructed at a cost of Rs 830 crore as part of the Nangal Dam-Talwara-Mukerian project and will boost connectivity between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, specifically benefiting Hoshiarpur and Una districts. The line provides faster access to remote areas and key religious sites, including Anandpur Sahib and the Chintpurni Temple.
Among the leaders on the dais were Punjab BJP president Kewal Dhillon, MPs Harbhajan Singh, Ashok Mittal, Rajinder Gupta and Satnam Sandhu, Ex-MPs Som Parkash, Avinash Rai Khanna and Shwait Malik, Sunil Jakhar, Ashwani Sharma, Iqbal Singh Lalpura, Manoranjan Kalia, Rakesh Rathour, Parminder Brar, Rana Gurmeet Sodhi, Jaiveer Shergill, along with several other senior leaders.
Last time, on February 1, Modi visited Dera Sachkhand Ballan, an influential centre of the Ravidassia community, a key Dalit group in the state, to attend Guru Ravidas's 649th birth anniversary celebrations.
