January 17, 2026 Times of Dakshin Dinajpur
Kamal Kumar Biswas.TOD.Balurghat
The arrival of a train on Saturday afternoon turned into a civic celebration here, as hundreds of residents gathered at Gangarampur railway station to welcome the inaugural run of the Balurghat–SMVT Bengaluru Express, a new long-distance service promising to reshape connectivity for the region.
The launch formed part of a broader day of milestones for Indian Railways. From Malda Town station, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the country’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper train and inaugurated five new rail services nationwide. Among them was the Balurghat–Bengaluru Express, which began its maiden journey from Balurghat earlier in the day.
In Gangarampur, the event unfolded with the air of a festival. An improvised stage was set up on Platform No. 1, where representatives of the Gangarampur Rail Development Committee, local officials, railway authorities, and staff assembled to mark the occasion. Commuters and townspeople crowded the platform, many recording the moment on their phones, others simply watching history arrive on steel rails.
At 2:47 p.m., the inaugural train rolled into the station to applause and cheers. Members of the Rail Development Committee stepped forward to greet the locomotive crew with flower bouquets and sweets, a traditional gesture of welcome that reflected the community’s pride in the new service.Moments later, a green flag was raised, and the Balurghat–Bengaluru Express departed amid renewed applause, continuing its journey southward.
For residents of this part of North Bengal, the new train represents more than a schedule change. It is a symbolic bridge between a growing region and one of India’s major metropolitan hubs — a sign that national infrastructure development is reaching deeper into the country’s heartland, one station at a time.
0 Comments