Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami flagged off the weekly Tanakpur-Dehradun express from the Tanakpur railway station in Champawat district on Saturday. Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, he said that the start of the first express train from the Tanakpur railway station, built before independence, to Dehradun is the fulfillment of a dream.

He said that various important cities have been connected between Tanakpur and Dehradun with the operation of the Tanakpur Express. This train will provide an easy option to people to travel from Banbasa, Khatima, Pilibhit, Bhojipura, Bareilly City, Bareilly Junction, Chandosi, Moradabad, Najibabad, Laksar and Haridwar railway stations. This train will also become a better option for people wanting to travel to the temple of goddess Purnagiri. “Indian Railway is moving towards its golden era under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Indian Railway has been prepared for the past 10 years to fulfill the aspirations of a new India and meet the expectations of a self-reliant India. Removing unmanned railway crossings from broad gauge lines has made Indian Railways safer while the speed of trains has also increased considerably. Trains like the Vande Bharat express which signify self-reliance and modernity are becoming part of the rail network while work on linking untouched parts of the nation by rail is also underway,” the CM said.

Divisional rail manager Rekha Yadav said that the operation of this train service will especially benefit the people of Champawat and Pithoragarh districts.