Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Sunday flagged off a maiden train on the 81-km-long railway line between Sonepat and Jind and stressed the need to create infrastructure to promote growth and meet future challenges.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Prabhu described Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh “as the growth triange of India,” saying government will pump in investments to further improve railway infrastructure in the region.
Mr Prabhu said railways have joined hands with Haryana seeking speedy execution of viable rail projects in the State in a joint venture model.
Development of rail infrastructure
The MoU was signed recently between them for constitution of a joint venture entity for development of rail infrastructure in the State, which Mr Prabhu said was going to be the first such State to have this kind of partnership.
“Earlier, Rs 314 crore were spent on development of rail infrastructure in Haryana, but this has now been almost tripled,” he said.
Railways will join hands with Punjab too to have a JV on similar lines, Mr Prabhu said.
He along with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar flagged off the passenger train via video-conferencing from Chandigarh railway station.
The train between Sonipat and Jind will also connect several hinterland villages and urban clusters with 13 railway stations, of which 10 will be new railway stations.
Mr Prabhu also launched a number of other passenger-centric projects through video conferencing. Other projects were new foot-overbridge at Sonipat railway station and inauguration of a mechanised laundry in Chandigarh.
The laundry will cater to requirement of linens for entire Ambala division. Apart from this, foundation stone of coaching-cum-maintenance facilities at railway station, Chheharta near Amritsar was also laid.
While the foundation stones of additional traffic facilities was laid at Chandigarh railway station, that of 17 lifts and 10 escalator facilities was also laid at different railway stations. - PTI
