Gorakhpur–Pilibhit Express extended up to Izzatnagar in UP

Fulfilling a long-standing public demand, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw along with Union Minister of State Jitin Prasada flagged off the extension of the Gorakhpur–Pilibhit Express up to Izzatnagar (Bareilly) through video conferencing on Thursday.

The train earlier operated between Lakhimpur and Gorakhpur, and a few months ago its service was extended up to Pilibhit. It has now been further extended to Bareilly. The initiative marks a major step by Indian Railways in strengthening connectivity across Uttar Pradesh’s Terai region and linking it more effectively with the mainstream of development.

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The extension of the service to Izzatnagar (Bareilly) fulfills a long-standing demand of local residents and is expected to generate far-reaching benefits for the region.

Speaking on the occasion, Vaishnaw highlighted the unprecedented scale of railway development in Uttar Pradesh since 2014. He stated that 5,272 kilometres of new tracks have been constructed in the state—more than the entire rail network of Switzerland—and the state has achieved 100% electrification of its railway routes.

He further informed that 1,660 flyovers and road underbridges have been built across Uttar Pradesh during this period.

For enhanced passenger convenience, the Union Minister noted that Indian Railways has installed 154 lifts and 156 escalators at various stations, and Wi-Fi facilities are now available at 771 stations across Uttar Pradesh.

He also highlighted that the state currently operates 34 Vande Bharat Express services and 26 Amrit Bharat Express services, significantly improving high-quality travel options for passengers.

The Union Minister said, over the past 11 years, 48 long-pending projects have been completed, including the Lucknow–Pilibhit gauge conversion, Pilibhit–Shahjahanpur gauge conversion, and Bareilly–Tanakpur gauge conversion, all of which had been awaiting progress for many years.

He also underscored the dramatic increase in railway investment in the state. The budget allocation to Uttar Pradesh, which stood at ₹1,109 crore before 2014, has now risen 18-fold to ₹19,858 crore.

Additionally, 157 stations across Uttar Pradesh are being redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. This includes 48 stations in West and North Uttar Pradesh alone—such as Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Shamli, Bulandshahr, Garhmukteshwar, Ghaziabad, Meerut City, Modinagar, Ramghat, Bijnor, Dhampur, Moradabad, Najibabad, Pilibhit, and Bareilly, among others.