The beginning of 2026 has brought a major connectivity boost for the poll-bound state, West Bengal. Apart from the country’s first Vande Bharat sleeper, the state is likely to get seven new routes of Amrit Bharat Express during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day programme this week.
According to sources in the railways, of the seven trains, four routes are meant for connecting North Bengal to different places in the country while three are to link the two major railway stations, including Howrah and Sealdah. The trains are to see the green flag on 17 January. The first day of the programme are New Jalpaiguri – Nagercoil Amrit Bharat Express, New Jalpaiguri – Tiruchirappalli Amrit Bharat Express, Alipurduar – Bengaluru Amrit Bharat Express, Alipurduar – Mumbai (Panvel) Amrit Bharat Express. Three more Amrit Bharat trains would run on their inaugural journey on the second day of the PM’s programme. The trains include Sealdah-Banaras Amrit Bharat Express, Howrah-Anand Vihar Amrit Bharat Express and Santragachi-Tambaram Amrit Bharat Express. Apart from this, Mr Modi could also flag off a passenger train between Jayrambati and Maynapur.
As learnt from official sources, the Sealdah-Banaras Amrit Bharat express has been numbered as 22578/22588 and is to be operated tri-weekly on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from Sealdah and on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday from Banaras. The 16-coach rake is to have commercial stoppages at Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay, Patna, Jasidih, Madhupur, Asansol and Durgapur enroute. The Howrah-Anand Vihar Amrit Bharat Express numbered as 13065/13066 would be operated weekly on Thursday from Howrah and on Saturday from the other direction. This Amrit Bharat Express would include 20-coach rake having commercial stoppages at Asansol, Durgapur, Burdwan, Bandel, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay, Bhabua Road, Sasaram, Dehri On Son, Anugraha Narayan Road, Gaya, Koderma, Dhanbad, Varanasi, Jaunpur City among other stations.
Another Amrit Bharat Express, which is to see the green signal on that day is the 16107/ 16108 Tambaram-Santragachi Amrit Bharat Express under the South Eastern Railway. It will leave Tambaram every Friday at 3.30 pm and will reach Santragachi at 8.15 pm, the next day. In the return direction, 16108 Santragachi – Tambaram Amrit Bharat Express will leave Santragachi every Saturday at 11.55 pm and will arrive at Tambaram at 10 am the third day.
As learnt from the SER office, the train will have stoppages at Chennai Egmore, Sulerpeta, Nellore, Ongole, Chirala, Tenali, Vijayawada Jn, Eluru, Rajahmundry, Samalkot, Anakapalle, Duvvada, Pendurthi, Kothavalasa, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam Road, Palasa, Brahmapur, Balugaon, Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jajpur Keonjhar Road, Bhadrak, Balasore and Kharagpur.