The train will cover 972 km between Guwahati and Kolkata in 14 hours.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off the first Vande Bharat sleeper train at Malda station, attended virtually by Assam leaders from Guwahati (Photo: X)
NEW DELHI/MALDA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off India's first Vande Bharat sleeper train from West Bengal's Malda station, marking a significant milestone in rail connectivity for the Northeast. He also flagged off virtually the Guwahati-Howrah Vande Bharat sleeper train from Malda.
Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma attended the ceremony virtually from Kamakhya railway station.
The high-speed Vande Bharat sleeper service will operate between Kamakhya in Assam's Guwahati and Howrah near Kolkata in West Bengal, representing the first sleeper variant of the Vande Bharat platform introduced by Indian Railways.
The train consists of a 16-coach rake, including 11 AC 3-Tier coaches, four AC 2-Tier coaches, and one First AC coach, with a total passenger capacity of 823. Covering a distance of 972 km between Guwahati and Kolkata in approximately 14 hours, the train is scheduled to depart Kamakhya at 18:15 hrs and arrive at Howrah at 08:15 hrs the following morning. On the return journey, it will leave Howrah at 18:20 hrs and reach Kamakhya at 08:20 hrs the next day.
Speaking on the occasion, Assam Chief Minister Sarma stated that the Northeast, once considered peripheral, has now emerged as a focal point of national development due to enhanced connectivity. He attributed this transformation to the sustained focus of the NDA government under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, which has placed the Northeast at the centre of key national priorities.
The Chief Minister thanked the Prime Minister for inaugurating the first Vande Bharat sleeper service between Kamakhya and Howrah, noting that the train would play a transformative role in regional rail connectivity. He expressed confidence that the new service would strengthen people-to-people ties between Assam and West Bengal and significantly promote cultural and religious tourism in both states.
CM Sarma further highlighted that recent years have seen an intensive push toward improving railway infrastructure across Assam and other Northeastern states. He emphasized that robust transport and logistics infrastructure is critical for the region's economic development, given Assam's geo-strategic importance. He added that the Centre's commitment is evident from a series of infrastructure initiatives that have ushered in a new connectivity revolution in the region.
In this context, he also expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for his forthcoming visit to Kaziranga, where two Amrit Bharat Express trains are scheduled to be flagged off on Sunday.
Minister for Environment and Forests Chandra Mohan Patowary, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, Members of Parliament Bijuli Kalita Medhi, Pradan Baruah, Bhubaneswar Kalita, MLA Atul Bora, General Manager of Northeast Frontier Railway Chetan Kumar Srivastava, and several other dignitaries were present at the Kamakhya railway station during the event.
At Malda railway station, PM Narendra Modi not only met with children and railway employees in one of the coaches of the train, but also gave autographs to the children and listened to them sing.
This train is set to be a lifeline for two election-bound states, West Bengal and Assam, as it not only boasts state-of-the-art facilities but will also reduce travel time between Kolkata and Guwahati by three hours.
PM Modi also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for several projects worth Rs 3,250 crore in Malda. He also launched four new Amrit Bharat trains, which will operate on different railway routes across the country.
Addressing a large public gathering, PM Modi said, "I am happy to flag off India's first Vande Bharat Sleeper train from Malda. Several Amrit Bharat train services are also being launched to enhance connectivity. The development of eastern India is essential for a developed India by 2047. He also took a dig at the TMC, stating that the TMC has been exposed as a party of corruption, appeasement, and violence. West Bengal needs a BJP government that prioritizes development and the welfare of the people. Malda is located in north Bengal.
The BJP has its eyes set on the 54 Assembly seats in this part of Bengal, along with offering development projects worth thousands of crores of rupees in Malda. The two parliamentary constituencies of Malda comprise 12 Assembly seats, of which the TMC won 7 last time, and the BJP secured 4. The BJP aims to win more seats in North Bengal through development initiatives.
Union Minister of State for Education, Dr Sukanta Majumdar, in an exclusive interview, said that PM Modi has given gifts worth thousands of crores of rupees to the people of Malda and the entire Bengal, which will significantly contribute to the development of the region. This will greatly benefit the people of North Bengal. "We performed well in North Bengal last time, and we will do even better this time," he said. Taking a dig at Mamata Banerjee regarding the Supreme Court's setback on the SIT and ED issues, he said that the lotus (BJP's symbol) will bloom here this time.
Meanwhile, railway passengers, especially women, who travelled on the first Vande Bharat sleeper train, not only praised the train but also thanked PM Modi, pledging their support for him in the elections and saying that this time "Khela Hobe" and Mamata Didi will be left behind.
