MOTIHARI/NEW DELHI, July 18 — Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of rail projects worth more than Rs 5,381 crore in Bihar, along with a broader portfolio of development works totalling Rs 7,200 crore across rail, road, rural development, fisheries, electronics, and IT sectors.
At a ceremony in Motihari, PM Modi dedicated several railway initiatives aimed at strengthening communication and infrastructure. These included the launch of automatic signalling between Samastipur and Bachhwara, and the foundation stone laying for maintenance infrastructure for Vande Bharat trains at Patliputra.
Among the key announcements were the upgrading of the traction system and implementation of automatic signalling on the 114-km Bhathni-Chhapra rail line, a project estimated to cost Rs 232 crore. This is expected to enhance energy efficiency and increase train speeds.
The Prime Minister also launched the Rs 4,080 crore Darbhanga-Narkatiaganj rail line doubling project, which will help increase the movement of both passenger and freight trains, significantly improving connectivity between North Bihar and the rest of India.
In a major boost to railway services, Modi flagged off four new high-speed Amrit Bharat Express trains via video conferencing. These include the Patna-New Delhi, Malda Town-Gomtinagar (Lucknow), Darbhanga-Gomtinagar (Lucknow), and Bapudham Motihari–Anand Vihar (Delhi) routes.
These trains, while offering facilities comparable to Vande Bharat Express, are focused on affordability. They include only general and sleeper class coaches, excluding AC compartments. The Patna-Delhi Amrit Bharat Express, for instance, will run at a top speed of around 130 km/h and complete the 1,000-km journey in just 10 hours, halting at key stations like Ara, Buxar, DDU, Mirzapur, Prayagraj, Kanpur Central, and Etawah.
The coaches come equipped with mobile charging points at every seat, CCTV surveillance for enhanced security, high-tech and hygienic toilets, digital display boards for passenger information, and improved lighting systems.
To support the Vande Bharat fleet, a dedicated maintenance hub will be constructed at Patliputra Coaching Complex at a cost of Rs 283 crore. The facility will include five specialised maintenance lines, and tenders have already been issued for its construction.
In addition, PM Modi inaugurated a new automatic signalling system worth Rs 53 crore on the Samastipur-Bachhwara section and launched a Rs 153 crore signalling upgrade between Bhathni and Chhapra as part of the Gorakhpur Cantt-Chhapra rail corridor.
These efforts mark a significant push in modernising Bihar's rail infrastructure, improving connectivity, and offering better, faster, and safer travel experiences across the region.
