Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw today inspected ongoing redevelopment works at New Jalpaiguri (NJP) railway station, which is being upgraded into a world-class facility under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.

The project is fully funded by the Central Government with an allocation of Rs 5 billion. NJP serves as a key international gateway connecting India with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, and the expansion will double passenger handling capacity from 60,000 to 120,000 travellers per day to meet rising demand in North Bengal.

Vaishnaw said the Prime Minister will soon flag off more than a dozen new trains in West Bengal. He also noted that over 101 railway stations across the state are currently under renovation and added that NJP could emerge as a future hub for train originations linked to a proposed IT corridor.

The Minister arrived at Bagdogra Airport from New Delhi and travelled to NJP before boarding a train to Malda to participate in the Prime Minister’s Vande Bharat Sleeper and other train launch programmes.