Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Thursday flagged off a Shatabdi Express train from here to New Delhi. Earlier, in the morning the same train was flagged off from New Delhi by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu.
After the flagging off ceremony, Harsimrat Badal said she had urged the Union Railway Minister to attach extra bogeys with refrigeration facility in the train for transportation of fresh fruits and vegetables and processed food items to various parts of the country to give boost to food processing. She also promised to take up the issue with Railway Ministry to make the train run entire week and also proposed to extend it up to Ferozepur. Deputy Chief Minister, Sukhbir Badal who was also present, said the starting of this train would usher in an era of economic development and prosperity in the region. He said rail connectivity to Delhi had became a major requirement with the commissioning of Guru Gobind Singh Oil Refinery as Bathinda had emerged as a Petro-chemical hub. He said besides this the establishment of prestigious projects like Talwandi Sabo Thermal Power Plant, Central University of Punjab and Hotel Management Institute Bathinda had necessitated the sanctioning of Shatabdi Express train on this route.
The Bathinda-Delhi route will be covered in 4 hours and 45 minutes. The train will leave from New Delhi to Bathinda at 9 am and reach Bathinda at 1.45 pm. The same train will leave for Delhi from Bathinda at 4.15 pm and reach Delhi railway station at 9 pm. The Shatabdi Express between Bathinda and Delhi was announced by the then Union Railway Minister Sadananda Gauda in his maiden rail budget speech earlier this year.