Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off India's first Vande Bharat sleeper train today (January 17, 2026) in Malda, West Bengal. The train will run between Howrah (Kolkata) and Guwahati (Kamakhya), making rail travel between eastern and northeastern India modern, comfortable, and fast. Assembly elections will be held in West Bengal and Assam later this year.
PM Modi will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate rail and road projects worth over ₹3,250 crore at a public function in Malda. These include:
Balurghat-Hili new rail line
Next-generation freight facilities in New Jalpaiguri
Upgradation of the Siliguri loco shed
Modernisation of Vande Bharat maintenance facilities in Jalpaiguri
Electrification of the New Cooch Behar-Bamanhat and New Cooch Behar-Boxirhat rail lines
In addition, PM Modi will virtually flag off four new Amrit Bharat Express trains:
New Jalpaiguri-Nagercoil
New Jalpaiguri-Tiruchirappalli
Alipurduar-SMVT Bengaluru
Alipurduar-Mumbai (Panvel)
On January 17, at around 6 pm, PM Modi will participate in the traditional Bodo cultural event "Bagurumba Dwou 2026" at the Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati. The statement said that this will be a historic cultural event celebrating the rich heritage of the Bodo community.
On this occasion, over 10,000 artists from the Bodo community will perform the Bagurumba dance together. Artists from 81 assembly constituencies across 23 districts of the state will participate in the event.
Bagurumba is one of the folk dances of the Bodo community, deeply inspired by nature. This dance symbolises blooming flowers and reflects the harmony between human life and the natural world.
On January 18, at around 11 am, PM Modi will perform the groundbreaking ceremony for the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor project, costing over ₹6,950 crore, and flag off two new Amrit Bharat Express trains at Kaliabor in Nagaon district.
During the event, Prime Minister Modi will also flag off two new Amrit Bharat Express trains – the Guwahati (Kamakhya)-Rohtak Amrit Bharat Express and the Dibrugarh-Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) Amrit Bharat Express. These new train services will strengthen rail connectivity between Northeast and North India, making travel safer and more convenient for people.
Howrah to Guwahati in 14 hours
PM Modi will flag off the country's first Vande Bharat train from Malda Town, West Bengal, on Saturday. The Vande Bharat Sleeper has a maximum speed of 180 kmph. It will cover the 958-kilometre distance between Howrah in West Bengal and Guwahati (Kamakhya) in just 14 hours.
PM Modi will flag off the country's first 'Vande Bharat Sleeper' train from Malda Town Railway Station today and dedicate it to the nation. This train is a testament to the changing face and modernity of Indian Railways.
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