Explore Business Standard
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday virtually flagged off the Vande Bharat express connecting Howrah and New Jalpaiguri in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Also present on the occasion were Governor C V Ananda Bose and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The Vande Bharat Express will connect Howrah and New Jalpaiguri, the gateway to the northeast. The blue-and-white train, which covers a distance of 564 km in 7.45 hours, will save three hours of travel time compared to other trains on the route, officials said. It will have three stoppages at Barsoi, Malda and Bolpur. The Vande Bharat express with modern passenger amenities is likely to be preferred both by regular passengers, tea industry executives and tourists travelling to the Himalayas in North Bengal and Sikkim. The state-of-the-art train has 16 coaches, including two for drivers.
The new Vande Bharat Express from Howrah to New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, to be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, will save three hours of travel time compared to other trains on the route, officials said on Wednesday. Currently, there are 14 trains that cover the 564-km distance at an average travel time of around 10:45 hours. The new train will cover the distance in 7:45 hours, the officials said, considerably bringing down the run time between Kolkata and Siliguri, the gateway to the northeast. The train will have three stoppages -- Barsoi, Malda and Bolpur. The blue-and-white train has already arrived at Eastern Railway's Liluah loco shed. The semi-high speed train with modern passenger amenities is likely to attract tourists travelling to the hills of north Bengal and the Dooars as well as Sikkim. The train will be particularly advantageous for those who do not wish to spend a night at Siliguri before travelling on to their destinations. The state-of-th
Fresh violence was reported in Panchla Bazaar area in West Bengal's Howrah district on Saturday as protesters clashed with the police and several houses were set on fire, a senior officer said. Protesters pelted policemen with stones, injuring some of them, and also vandalised a BJP party office. Several fire tenders were pressed into service as police lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the protesters, the officer said, adding the situation was "under control" at the moment. "The agitators have been dispersed. Some policemen have been injured in the stone-pelting. We are conducting a route march in the area. The situation is under control," he said. Protests erupted in several parts of Howrah district on Friday over controversial remarks by suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled leader Naveen Jindal on Prophet Mohammad. Agitators resorted to stone-pelting, setting police vehicles on fire and damaging public property during violent protests and clashes with the law ..