Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday virtually flagged off the inaugural service of the Ramnagar-Dehradun Express, marking the commencement of the first-ever direct 'Express' train connecting these areas. The new train fulfilled a long-pending demand of the people of the region and will significantly strengthen rail connectivity between the Kumaon and Garhwal regions of Uttarakhand, according to an official statement.
It will provide convenient same-day connectivity to Dehradun and Haridwar, enabling passengers to complete official, educational, business and personal work before returning home. Passengers will find it more convenient to access the Char Dham pilgrimage circuit, including Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, through onward connectivity from Haridwar and Dehradun.
The train (15310) will operate every Wednesday and Friday and it will depart Ramnagar at 5:50 am and arrive at Dehradun at 12:40 pm. On the return journey, train (15309) will depart Dehradun at 3:55 pm and reach Ramnagar at 11:30 pm. The train will halt at Kashipur, Roshanpur, Pipalsana, Moradabad, Najibabad and Haridwar en route.
The train will comprise AC Second Class, AC Third Class, AC Chair Car, Sleeper Class, Second Sitting and General Second-Class coaches, offering comfortable travel options for passengers across different categories. The new service will benefit residents of Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar, Haridwar and Dehradun districts in Uttarakhand, as well as Moradabad and Bijnor districts in Uttar Pradesh, including students, farmers and traders.
The train is also expected to promote tourism and pilgrimage in the region by improving connectivity to Jim Corbett National Park, the Girija Devi Temple, and the ancient religious sites of Sitamadhi or Sitavani. Vaishnaw mentioned that Rishikesh railway station will be developed as a feeder station to ease pressure on Haridwar.
The minister said that a master plan is being prepared to create additional capacity and improve connectivity for passengers travelling to and from Haridwar and Rishikesh. Vaishnaw highlighted that the redevelopment of railway stations in Uttarakhand is progressing rapidly, and that 11 stations in the state are being redeveloped, including Dehradun, Haridwar Junction, Harrawala, Kashipur Junction, Kichha, Kotdwar, Roorkee, Kathgodam, Lal Kuan Junction, Ramnagar and Tanakpur.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami highlighted that the rail connectivity in Uttarakhand has improved significantly in recent years. Dhami said work on the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail line is progressing rapidly and would become a lifeline for the social, economic, religious and tourism development of Uttarakhand.