Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday flagged off the country’s first Vande Bharat sleeper train connecting Howrah and Guwahati (Kamakhya) from Malda Town station in north Bengal. He also virtually flagged off the return Guwahati–Howrah Vande Bharat sleeper service.
During the event, the Prime Minister interacted with children and school students inside the train, exchanging greetings and discussing their travel experience.
According to an official statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the fully air-conditioned Vande Bharat sleeper train has been developed to meet the growing transportation needs of modern India and will offer passengers an “airline-like travel experience at economical fares.”
The statement said the new service will make long-distance journeys faster, safer and more convenient. By reducing travel time on the Howrah–Guwahati route by around 2.5 hours, the train is expected to significantly boost religious tourism and general travel between eastern and northeastern India.
Later in the day, at a public programme in Malda, the Prime Minister is scheduled to dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone of multiple rail and road infrastructure projects worth about Rs 3,250 crore, aimed at strengthening connectivity and accelerating development in West Bengal and the North East.
Modi is on a two-day visit to eastern India, during which he will criss-cross poll-bound West Bengal and Assam. The visit combines major infrastructure launches with strong political messaging as preparations intensify for the 2026 Assembly elections.
