Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Paatil on Saturday, 18 July 2026 highlighted the launch of several new railway services in Punjab, including a fresh train link between Amritsar and Varanasi (Kashi), flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The minister also noted the inauguration of a new rail line between Daulatpur Chowk and Kartoli, and a new service connecting Kartoli to Ambala.

Context

Paatil shared the developments on X, attributing the launches to Prime Minister Modi. In his post, he wrote: 'अब यहाँ जालंधर से कई नई रेल सेवाएँ शुरू की गई हैं' ('Several new rail services have now been launched from Jalandhar'). He specifically underlined that the Amritsar–Kashi rail service would make it easier for devotees of Guru Ravidas to travel from Punjab to the holy city of Varanasi.

Guru Ravidas, the revered 15th–16th century Bhakti saint, commands a large and devoted following concentrated in Punjab and northern India. His spiritual legacy is deeply tied to Varanasi, making the city a central pilgrimage destination for millions of his followers across the country.

Policy Backdrop

The launches fit within a sustained push by the central government since 2014 to expand rail connectivity across northern India, with particular attention to pilgrimage corridors. Successive railway budgets have earmarked resources for new lines and passenger services linking Punjab and Haryana to major religious centres including Varanasi.

The Amrit Bharat train programme, launched in 2023, and the ongoing station redevelopment initiative have reinforced this focus, upgrading both rolling stock and infrastructure on long-distance routes. New lines such as the Daulatpur Chowk–Kartoli section represent incremental but significant additions to the regional rail network.

Stakeholders and Impact

The most immediate beneficiaries are the large community of Guru Ravidas devotees in Punjab, for whom the Amritsar–Kashi direct service removes the need for multiple interchanges on a spiritually important journey. Broader rail passengers across Jalandhar and surrounding districts also gain from the expanded service frequency.

The Kartoli–Ambala service adds a new axis of connectivity in the Punjab–Haryana corridor, a region with high passenger demand driven by commerce, agriculture, and inter-state movement. Indian Railways, as the executing agency, is responsible for operationalising and maintaining these new services.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to the railway budget allocations for the Punjab–Haryana new-lines programme and whether additional flagging-off events are planned for further Varanasi-linked connectivity. The government is also expected to track ridership on the new Amritsar–Kashi service, which could inform future decisions on frequency and rake composition.

With pilgrimage-linked rail corridors increasingly prominent in infrastructure planning, the Amritsar–Varanasi link may serve as a template for similar faith-tourism routes connecting other states to major religious centres across India.