Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw virtually flagged off the inaugural service of the Ramnagar-Dehradun Express, marking the commencement of the first-ever direct Express train connecting Ramnagar with Dehradun. The train fulfills a long-pending regional demand and significantly strengthens rail connectivity between the Kumaon and Garhwal regions of Uttarakhand.
The Express train will operate every Wednesday and Friday. Train No. 15310 departs Ramnagar at 05:50 hours and arrives at Dehradun at 12:40 hours. On the return journey, Train No. 15309 departs Dehradun at 15:55 hours and reaches Ramnagar at 23:30 hours. The train halts at Kashipur, Roshanpur, Pipalsana, Moradabad, Najibabad, and Haridwar en route. It comprises AC Second Class, AC Third Class, AC Chair Car, Sleeper Class, Second Sitting, and General Second Class coaches, offering comfortable travel options across different passenger categories.
The service benefits residents of Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar, Haridwar, and Dehradun districts in Uttarakhand, as well as Moradabad and Bijnor districts in Uttar Pradesh. It provides convenient same-day connectivity for students, farmers, traders, and people from all walks of life to complete official, educational, business, and personal work. The train is expected to promote tourism and pilgrimage, improving connectivity to Jim Corbett National Park, Girija Devi Temple, ancient religious sites of Sitamadhi/Sitavani, and the Char Dham pilgrimage circuit through onward connectivity from Haridwar and Dehradun.
Railway Minister Vaishnaw announced that Rishikesh railway station will be developed as a feeder station to ease pressure on Haridwar, with a master plan being prepared to create additional capacity and improve connectivity. Eleven stations in Uttarakhand are undergoing redevelopment: Dehradun, Haridwar Junction, Harrawala, Kashipur Junction, Kichha, Kotdwar, Roorkee, Kathgodam, Lal Kuan Junction, Ramnagar, and Tanakpur. The redevelopment of Haridwar and Dehradun stations specifically focuses on providing better facilities for poor and middle-class passengers without increasing congestion.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami highlighted that the state has received a record railway budget allocation of ₹4,769 crore, with railway projects worth over ₹40,000 crore currently under implementation. He noted that work on the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail line is progressing rapidly and will become a lifeline for the social, economic, religious, and tourism development of Uttarakhand. Several infrastructure projects and train services are being planned in Haridwar in view of the upcoming Kumbh.