Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Haryana, Chandigarh and Punjab on July 17 to inaugurate, dedicate and lay the foundation stone for development projects worth around Rs 26,800 crore. These include launching India’s first hydrogen-powered train, major highway and railway infrastructure, healthcare facilities and educational projects, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
The day-long visit will begin in Haryana’s Jind, where the Prime Minister will flag off India’s first hydrogen-powered passenger train between Jind and Sonipat before inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for projects worth around Rs 14,700 crore. He will later travel to Chandigarh to launch projects valued at over Rs 6,600 crore and conclude the tour in Punjab’s Jalandhar, where he will unveil rail and road infrastructure projects worth more than Rs 5,470 crore.
According to the PMO, the hydrogen-powered train marks “an important step towards the adoption of clean and sustainable mobility in the railway sector.” Designed, engineered and integrated in India using indigenous technology, the train places the country among a select group of nations operating hydrogen-powered passenger trains.
Powered by hydrogen fuel cells that generate electricity onboard, the train produces only water vapour as a by-product, resulting in zero carbon emissions during operation. The PMO said the 10-coach train is among the world’s longest hydrogen-powered passenger trains and is equipped with a 3,200-horsepower propulsion system, making it one of the most powerful hydrogen trainsets currently in operation.
In Haryana, the Prime Minister will dedicate and lay the foundation stone for National Highway projects worth over Rs 12,470 crore. These include the inauguration of Packages 1 to 5 of the 157.92-km Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, built at a cost of around Rs 9,680 crore. The expressway is expected to reduce travel time between Delhi and Katra from about 14 hours to nearly six hours and between Delhi and Amritsar from eight hours to around four hours while easing congestion on NH-44.
Other projects include the Ambala-Kala Amb Highway, the Jind-Gohana Greenfield Highway and the foundation stone of the Hansi-Barwala highway upgrade. Modi will also dedicate the elevated railway track at Kurukshetra, aimed at eliminating traffic bottlenecks caused by railway crossings.
The Prime Minister will inaugurate the Pandit Neki Ram Sharma Government Medical College in Bhiwani and the Maharishi Chyawan Medical College and Rao Tula Ram Hospital at Koriawas in Narnaul. The institutions are expected to expand medical education, increase MBBS seats and strengthen healthcare services in Haryana.
In Kurukshetra, Modi will also lay the foundation stone for a Sikh Museum that will showcase the history of Sikhism, the teachings and sacrifices of the Sikh Gurus, and the contribution of the Sikh community to India’s civilisation through modern technology.
In Chandigarh, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the Advanced Mother and Child Centre and the Advanced Neurosciences Centre at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER). The 300-bed mother and child facility has been designed to provide tertiary care for high-risk pregnancies, newborns and children requiring specialised treatment, while the neurosciences centre will offer integrated treatment for neurological disorders along with advanced research and training facilities.
He will also lay the foundation stone for a 150-bed Critical Care Block under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission at PGIMER.
The visit will also include the inauguration and foundation laying of educational infrastructure projects, including hostel facilities at Punjab Engineering College and Government College, Sector 46, Chandigarh, as well as major road projects such as the six-lane IT City-Kurali Greenfield Highway, the Zirakpur Greenfield Bypass and the PR-7 Spur of the Ambala-Chandigarh Greenfield Highway.
In Jalandhar, the Prime Minister will inaugurate 75 redeveloped railway stations across 20 states under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, developed at a cost of around Rs 1,570 crore. Among them is Jalandhar Cantonment station, redesigned with modern passenger amenities while incorporating local architectural and cultural elements.
He will also inaugurate the Daulatpur Chowk-Kartoli rail line, constructed as part of the Nangal Dam-Talwara-Mukerian project, and flag off the Kartoli-Ambala train service along with a new Amritsar (Chheharta)-Varanasi train connecting two major religious and cultural centres.
Further strengthening connectivity in Punjab, Modi will inaugurate Package 6 of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway and lay the foundation stone for the six-lane Southern Ludhiana Bypass, projects expected to improve freight movement, reduce travel time and enhance connectivity to key economic hubs.
The Prime Minister is also scheduled to address public gatherings in Jind and Chandigarh during the visit.