Dehradun/Khatima: People living in Uttarakhand’s border regions and Sikh devotees are set to receive a long-awaited rail service. Owing to the efforts of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, a direct weekly express train connecting Tanakpur with Takht Sri Hazur Sahib, Nanded has been approved. The train will be flagged off from Tanakpur Railway Station on July 6 by Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries Ravneet Singh.
The train will operate once a week. It will depart from Nanded every Sunday, passing through Akola, Itarsi, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jhansi, Agra, Mathura, and Bareilly, before reaching Tanakpur at 5:55 a.m. on Tuesday. On the return journey, it will leave Tanakpur at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday and arrive in Nanded at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
According to railway officials, regular operations will commence from July 14. The first service will depart from Nanded on July 12, reach Tanakpur on July 14, and begin its return journey the same day.
The train will also halt at Khatima Railway Station, arriving at 9:26 a.m. and departing at 9:29 a.m., although this update is yet to be reflected in the official railway timetable.
Residents of the border region, particularly members of the Sikh community, had long demanded a direct rail link to Hazur Sahib Nanded. The new service will not only facilitate religious pilgrimages but also improve long-distance rail connectivity for passengers from Uttarakhand. BJP leaders described the development as a significant achievement for the border region and expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and the Ministry of Railways.
