Ashwini Vaishnaw and CM Samrat Choudhary Flag Off Chhapra–Delhi Express

Patna: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on June 19, 2026, flagged off the Chhapra–Delhi Express at a ceremony held at Chhapra Junction. Through video conferencing, they also inaugurated the extension of the Doharighat–Aunrihar train service up to Varanasi City and launched the Mau–Delhi Express.

Additionally, at a ceremony held at the Madhaura Locomotive Plant in Bihar, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary flagged off the 51st WDG4G locomotive manufactured at the factory for export to the Republic of Guinea.

Addressing the gathering at Chhapra Junction, Mr. Vaishnaw said that the launch of these services fulfills the announcements made during the program held at Doharighat on May 11, 2026, regarding the Chhapra–Delhi Express, Mau–Delhi Express, and the extension of the Doharighat–Aunrihar service to Varanasi.

He noted that a train from Pune to Patna had also been introduced recently. He stated that Bihar’s railway development has gained new momentum due to record budget allocations. Earlier, Bihar received an average railway allocation of ₹1,000 crore. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014, the allocation was doubled and has now increased to ₹10,000 crore.

According to the minister, extensive railway infrastructure work is underway across Bihar, including construction of third and fourth railway lines, road overbridges (ROBs), and station redevelopment projects. Under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, 98 railway stations in Bihar are being redeveloped. Bihar currently has the highest number of Amrit Bharat trains, and 14 Vande Bharat trains are operating in the state.

He further stated that Bihar will receive a bullet train in the coming years. A bullet train network is planned from Delhi to Lucknow and Varanasi, and from Varanasi to Patna and Siliguri. Once operational, the Delhi–Patna journey is expected to take only 4 hours and 41 minutes. He described this as part of Prime Minister Modi’s vision for a developed India. The Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train is expected to begin operations next year, and seven new rail corridors have been approved in this year’s budget. Over time, bullet train services are expected to cover approximately 7,000 km, significantly reducing travel times.

The Railway Minister added that there had been a long-standing demand for the Chhapra–Delhi Express. The train will improve connectivity among Chhapra, Ballia, Mau, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Sultanpur, Lucknow, Kanpur, Aligarh, and Delhi, bringing substantial benefits to residents of Chhapra.

He highlighted that during Prime Minister Modi’s tenure, 2,034 km of new railway tracks have been laid in Bihar. Several major projects are underway, including:

The Vikramshila–Kateriya new railway line with a rail bridge over the Ganga River.
The Narkatiaganj–Raxaul line.
Doubling of the Sitamarhi–Darbhanga and Sitamarhi–Muzaffarpur sections.
The Bhagalpur–Jamalpur third line.
The Bhagalpur–Dumka–Rampur Hat project.
Doubling of the Bakhtiyarpur–Rajgir–Tilaiya route.
He said these projects would transform Bihar’s railway map. With railway capacity being expanded, Bihar could see around 200 new trains introduced over the next 7–8 years, greatly reducing passenger difficulties.

Referring to the Madhaura Locomotive Plant, he noted that locomotive exports had begun under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership. The 51st locomotive manufactured there is being dispatched today, and locomotives built on Bihar’s soil will showcase the state’s capabilities across the world.

Addressing the event, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary described the day as historic for Bihar and Chhapra. He said that the launch of the Chhapra–Delhi Express, Mau–Delhi Express, and the extension of the Doharighat–Aunrihar train service to Varanasi City marked a significant milestone.

The Chief Minister stated that railway projects worth more than ₹1 lakh crore are currently underway in Bihar. He noted that 36 out of Bihar’s 38 districts are now connected to the railway network. Construction of a third railway line from Chhapra to Katihar is also in progress. He welcomed the proposed bullet train project for Bihar.

On this occasion, Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Arvind Kumar Sharma, Saran MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Maharajganj MP Janardan Singh Sigriwal, and Ghosi MP Rajeev Rai expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for introducing the new train services.