By Kavita Sharma.
Photo Credit: The Suncity News.
Patna, June 19, 2026: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visited Bihar on Friday and flagged off the new Chhapra-Anand Vihar weekly express train from Chhapra Junction railway station.
During the event, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Saran MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy, and Maharajganj MP Janardan Singh Sigriwal were present.
Train No. 12527 will depart from Chhapra every Sunday at 8.50 PM and reach Anand Vihar at 2.00 PM on Monday.
The return service, Train No. 12528, will leave Anand Vihar every Monday at 3.25 PM and arrive at Chhapra at 9.40 AM on Tuesday.
During the event, he highlighted the Centre’s continued focus on strengthening railway infrastructure in the state and announced several major projects aimed at improving connectivity and capacity.
Addressing the gathering, Ashwini Vaishnaw said that railway projects worth nearly Rs 1.15 lakh crore are currently under implementation in Bihar, while the state has received a railway budget allocation of more than Rs 10,000 crore under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that a new five-platform railway station will be constructed at Harding Park in Patna to enhance passenger handling capacity in the capital region.
He also stated that Fatuha railway station will undergo modernization as part of ongoing infrastructure upgrades.
Ahswini Vaishnaw highlighted that Bihar made locomotives reach the global market:
Highlighting Bihar’s growing role in railway manufacturing, the minister said that the 51locomotives produced at Madhaura Diesel Locomotive Factory have been dispatched to Guinea.
He described the achievement as a matter of pride for the state and the country.
According to Ashwini Vaishnaw, an initial batch of four locomotives was exported to Guinea last year through Mundra Port.
Following a visit by three Guinean ministers to the Marhaura plant in May 2025, a major agreement was finalized for the export of 140 locomotives over the next three years under a project valued at around Rs 3,000 crore.
Spread across 270 acres, the factory manufactures diesel locomotives ranging from 4,500 to 6,000 horsepower and employs around 600 engineers and workers.
Components for locomotives are sourced from several states, including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, and Jharkhand, while certain specialized equipment is imported.
Bullet train project gets approval:
Ashwini Vaishnaw also revealed that the Delhi-Varanasi-Patna bullet train corridor has received approval.
Once completed, the high-speed rail project is expected to reduce travel time between Patna and Delhi to approximately 4 hours and 41 minutes.
He added that there are plans to extend the corridor further to Siliguri in the future.
Also Read: Ashwini Vaishnaw: Indian Railways provided Rs 60,239 crore passenger subsidy in 2024-25.
EOM.
