Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit West Bengal and Assam on 17-18 January.
West Bengal and Assam—the two eastern states—are going to Assembly polls in April-May, apart from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry in the south.
On 17th January, at around 12:45 PM, the Prime Minister will visit Malda and flag off India’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper Train between Howrah and Guwahati (Kamakhya) at Malda Town Railway Station. Thereafter, he will dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone of multiple rail and road infrastructure projects worth more than Rs 3,250 crore in a public function at Malda, aimed at strengthening connectivity and accelerating development in West Bengal and the North-Eastern region.
On 18th January, at around 3 PM, Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate, lay the foundation stone, and flag off various development projects worth around Rs 830 crore at Singur in Hooghly district.
The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of four major railway projects in West Bengal, including the new rail line between Balurghat and Hili, next-generation freight maintenance facilities at New Jalpaiguri, upgradation of the Siliguri Loco Shed, and modernisation of Vande Bharat train maintenance facilities in Jalpaiguri district. He will dedicate to the nation the electrification of rail lines between New Coochbehar–Bamanhat and New Coochbehar–Boxirhat, enabling faster, cleaner, and more energy-efficient train operations.
The Prime Minister will further virtually flag off 4 New Amrit Bharat Express trains – New Jalpaiguri- Nagercoil Amrit Bharat Express; New Jalpaiguri- Tiruchirappalli Amrit Bharat Express; Alipurduar – SMVT Bengaluru Amrit Bharat Express; Alipurduar – Mumbai (Panvel) Amrit Bharat Express. This will enhance affordable and reliable long-distance rail connectivity.
Prime Minister Modi will also flag off two new train services equipped with LHB coaches – Radhikapur – SMVT Bengaluru Express; Balurghat – SMVT Bengaluru Express—which will provide the region’s youth, students, and IT professionals with direct, safe, and comfortable travel connectivity to major IT and employment hubs such as Bengaluru.
He will lay the foundation stone for the rehabilitation and four-laning of the Dhupguri–Falakata section of National Highway-31D, a key road project that will improve regional road connectivity and facilitate smoother movement of passengers and goods in North Bengal.
He will also lay the foundation stone of the Extended Port Gate System at Balagarh, including an Inland Water Transport (IWT) terminal and a Road Over Bridge.
The Prime Minister will also launch a state-of-the-art Electric Catamaran in Kolkata. This is one of the 6 Electric Catamarans indigenously built for inland water transport by Cochin Shipyard Ltd. The vessel will support urban river mobility, eco-tourism and last-mile passenger connectivity along the Hooghly River.
Prime Minister Modi will also inaugurate the Jayrambati–Barogopinathpur–Maynapur new rail line, an important part of the Tarkeshwar–Bishnupur new rail line project. He will also flag off a new train service between Maynapur and Jayrambati, with a halt at Barogopinathpur, providing direct rail connectivity to the residents of Bankura district.
He will flag off three Amrit Bharat Express trains: Kolkata (Howrah) – Anand Vihar Terminal Amrit Bharat Express; Kolkata (Sealdah) – Banaras Amrit Bharat Express; Kolkata (Santragachi) – Tambaram Amrit Bharat Express.
On 17 January, the PM will arrive in Assam and participate in the Traditional Bodo Cultural Programme in the evening. “Bagurumba Dwhou 2026” is a historic cultural event celebrating the rich heritage of the Bodo community at Sarusajai stadium, Guwahati.
On the occasion, more than 10,000 artists from the Bodo community will perform Bagurumba dance in a single, synchronised presentation. Artists from 81 Legislative Assembly Constituencies from across 23 districts of the state will take part in the event.
The next day, he will perform Bhoomi Pujan for the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor Project, worth over Rs 6,950 crore and will flag off 2 new Amrit Bharat Express trains at Kaliabor, Nagaon district.
The 86 km long Kaziranga Elevated Corridor project is an environmentally conscious National Highway project. It will feature 35 km of Elevated Wildlife Corridor that will pass through Kaziranga National Park, 21 km Bypass section and 30 km of widening of the existing highway section of NH-715 from two to four lanes. The project aims to improve regional connectivity while ensuring protection of the park’s rich biodiversity.
The project will pass through Nagaon, Karbi Anglong and Golaghat districts and will significantly improve connectivity to Upper Assam, particularly Dibrugarh and Tinsukia. As part of the project, Bypasses will be developed at Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat that will help to decongest towns, improve urban mobility and enhance the quality of life for local residents.
During the programme, the PM will also flag off 2 New Amrit Bharat Express trains – Guwahati (Kamakhya)-Rohtak Amrit Bharat Express and Dibrugarh-Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) Amrit Bharat Express. These new train services will strengthen rail connectivity between the Northeast and Northern India, enabling safer and more convenient travel for the people.