Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for rail and road infrastructure projects worth over ₹5,470 crore at Jalandhar Cantonment in Punjab on July 17, 2026. The centrepiece of the event was the inauguration of 75 redeveloped railway stations across 20 states under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, executed at a cost of about ₹1,570 crore. The Prime Minister also flagged off new train services and launched major highway projects, marking one of the biggest infrastructure pushes in the region in recent years.
The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme: A National Vision
The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) was launched by the Ministry of Railways in December 2022 as a long-term master-planning initiative to redevelop railway stations across India into modern, passenger-friendly transport hubs. The scheme aims to transform 1,340 stations nationwide, making it one of the largest station redevelopment programmes in the world. The initiative follows a phased approach, with each station receiving a customised master plan based on its passenger footfall, local needs, and heritage significance.
The scheme is built on the principle of “Virasat Bhi, Vikas Bhi” (Heritage and Development), meaning that redeveloped stations blend modern amenities with elements reflecting local culture, heritage, and architecture. Key features include improved station buildings, air concourses, wider foot-over-bridges, executive lounges, Divyangjan-friendly facilities such as lifts, ramps, and tactile paths, better passenger information systems, and kiosks for local products under the One Station One Product scheme.
The first major milestone under the scheme was reached on May 22, 2025, when 103 redeveloped stations across 18 states were inaugurated at a cost of over ₹1,100 crore. With the latest batch of 75 stations, a total of 261 stations have now been completed under the scheme.
75 Stations Across 20 States
The 75 stations inaugurated span 20 states, covering a wide geographical spread. Some of the notable stations include Jalandhar Cantonment, S.A.S. Nagar (Mohali), Sri Muktsar Sahib, and Sri Anandpur Sahib in Punjab; Pratapnagar, Godhra, Porbandar, and Bhaktinagar in Gujarat; Kalka and Narwana in Haryana; and Angamali for Kaladi, Thalassery, and Tirur in Kerala. The largest share went to Madhya Pradesh with 13 stations, followed by Rajasthan with 8 and Odisha with 7.
| State | Number of Stations | Notable Stations |
|---|---|---|
| Madhya Pradesh | 13 | Ashoknagar, Balaghat, Tikamgarh |
| Rajasthan | 8 | Barmer, Dausa, Deeg |
| Odisha | 7 | Balangir, Baripada, Talcher |
| Uttar Pradesh | 7 | Aishbagh Junction, Vindhyachal, Fatehpur |
| Kerala | 6 | Angamali for Kaladi, Thalassery |
| Punjab | 4 | Jalandhar Cantt, Mohali, Muktsar, Anandpur Sahib |
| Gujarat | 4 | Pratapnagar, Porbandar, Godhra |
Jalandhar Cantonment Station: A Heritage Landmark Transformed
The 110-year-old Jalandhar Cantonment Railway Station, redeveloped at a cost of ₹125 crore, served as the venue for the inauguration ceremony. The station falls under the Ferozepur Division of Northern Railway. Built during the British era, the station has been transformed into a world-class facility with modern passenger amenities.
The redeveloped station features a spacious double-height air concourse, heavy steel platform roofing, slip-resistant flooring, energy-efficient LED lighting, improved connectivity through entry points from both sides of the city, and two new Foot Over Bridges (FOBs) with widths of 6 metres and 9 metres. The design blends modern infrastructure with the station’s heritage character.
New Rail Links and Train Services
Daulatpur Chowk-Kartoli Rail Line
The Prime Minister inaugurated the Daulatpur Chowk-Kartoli new rail line, constructed at a cost of about ₹830 crore as part of the larger Nangal Dam-Talwara-Mukerian New Rail Line Project. This project, first sanctioned in 1981-82, is one of the longest-pending railway projects in India. It involves laying a new broad-gauge railway line connecting Nangal Dam to Mukerian via Talwara, spanning about 112.9 km across Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
The new line significantly strengthens rail connectivity between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, benefiting the districts of Hoshiarpur and Una. It provides connectivity to important religious destinations such as Shri Anandpur Sahib and Maa Chintpurni Temple, while enhancing access to remote areas. The Prime Minister also flagged off the Kartoli-Ambala train service, improving connectivity across Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.
Sant Ravidas Express
The Prime Minister flagged off the Sant Ravidas Express (Train Nos. 14623/14624), establishing a direct rail link between Chheharta (Amritsar) in Punjab and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The train operates tri-weekly, covering the 1,139 km distance in about 22 hours. It halts at major stations including Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Ambala Cantonment, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Bareilly, Lucknow, Sultanpur, and Jaunpur before reaching Varanasi.
The service fulfils a long-pending demand of the Ravidassia community for a direct train ahead of Guru Ravidas’s 650th Parkash Purab celebrations at his birthplace, Seer Govardhanpur in Varanasi. The train connects two of India’s most revered spiritual and cultural centres.
Highway Projects: Expressways and Bypasses
Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway
The Prime Minister inaugurated Package 6 of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, a 30.9 km four-lane greenfield section near Jalandhar. This came on the same day he dedicated Packages 1 to 5 (a 157.92 km stretch built at ₹9,680 crore) during a ceremony in Jind, Haryana.
The Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway is a 667 km access-controlled greenfield expressway being developed under the Bharatmala Pariyojana at an estimated cost of ₹38,905 crore. Designated as National Expressway 5 (NE-5), it connects Delhi to Katra via Haryana and Punjab, with a spur (NE-5A) connecting Nakodar to Amritsar. Once fully operational, the expressway will reduce the Delhi-Katra travel time from 14 hours to about 6 hours and the Delhi-Amritsar journey from 8 hours to about 4 hours. The project is targeted for full completion by March 2027.
Southern Ludhiana Bypass
The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the 25.24 km six-lane greenfield Southern Ludhiana Bypass. This project, developed under the Ludhiana-Ajmer Economic Corridor under Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM), will provide seamless connectivity between NH-44, the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, and the Ludhiana-Bathinda Highway. The bypass will reduce travel distance and journey time between Ludhiana and Bathinda, decongest traffic within Ludhiana city, and strengthen regional connectivity for trade and logistics.
Significance for Punjab and Regional Connectivity
The project cluster represents a significant development push for Punjab, a state that has seen major infrastructure announcements in recent years. Four of the 75 redeveloped stations are in Punjab, and the new rail lines and highway projects directly benefit the state’s connectivity with neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Jammu and Kashmir.
The Nangal Dam-Talwara-Mukerian rail project holds particular significance as a long-pending infrastructure project that has faced nearly four decades of delays due to land acquisition, forest clearance, and compensation issues. The commissioning of the Daulatpur Chowk-Kartoli section marks tangible progress on this strategic rail link that will open up the hilly regions of eastern Punjab and western Himachal Pradesh.
The highway projects complement the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, which is designed as a key religious tourism corridor connecting the Golden Temple in Amritsar and the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra. The expressway is also strategically important for faster military movement near the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir.
Key Takeaways
- The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme was launched in December 2022 by the Ministry of Railways to redevelop 1,340 stations nationwide.
- A total of 261 stations have been completed under the scheme so far, with 75 stations across 20 states inaugurated on July 17, 2026.
- The 110-year-old Jalandhar Cantonment Railway Station was redeveloped at ₹125 crore under the ABSS.
- The Sant Ravidas Express (14623/14624) connects Chheharta (Amritsar) to Varanasi, covering 1,139 km in about 22 hours on a tri-weekly basis.
- The Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway (NE-5) is a 667 km greenfield expressway under Bharatmala Pariyojana that will reduce Delhi-Katra travel time from 14 to 6 hours.
- The Nangal Dam-Talwara-Mukerian rail project, sanctioned in 1981-82, is one of India’s longest-pending railway projects, and the Daulatpur Chowk-Kartoli section (₹830 crore) has now been commissioned.
