Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday inaugurated the 56-kilometre electrified Bahraich-Nanpara-Nepalganj Road broad-gauge railway line, constructed at a cost of around ₹ 730 crore, describing it as the realisation of a decades-old dream of generations in the region.
The inauguration comes days after the devastating flash floods in neighbouring Nepal. He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for extending immediate assistance to the neighbouring country.
Addressing the gathering, he said the broad-gauge railway line would significantly improve connectivity between Bahraich and the Nepal border and provide fresh impetus to trade, movement and regional development. Expressing deep sorrow over the loss of lives and destruction caused by the natural disaster, the chief minister said India stands firmly with Nepal in its hour of crisis. Nepal was not merely a friendly neighbour but a country with which India shares deep-rooted cultural and civilisational ties, he said. The present circumstances called for solidarity and support from India, he said.
Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also addressed the inauguration programme virtually from New Delhi.
He said the conversion of the railway line from meter gauge to broad gauge and its electrification would transform the connectivity landscape of the border region. Thanking the prime minister for making the long-pending project a reality, he said the development reflected the government’s commitment to strengthening infrastructure in eastern Uttar Pradesh. The chief minister said previous governments had viewed Rupaidiha merely as a border area and had neglected its development, while the present government considers the region an important gateway to India.
