Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for development projects worth more than Rs 24,000 crore across Haryana, Chandigarh and Punjab on Friday, including key stretches of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway and India’s first hydrogen-powered train.

The projects span transport, healthcare, education and railway infrastructure. Among the highlights is the inauguration of six packages of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, which is expected to cut travel time between Delhi and Katra from around 14 hours to nearly six hours, while reducing the Delhi-Amritsar journey from about eight hours to four hours.

Expressway to Improve Regional Connectivity

According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Modi will dedicate the 157.92-km-long, four-lane Packages 1 to 5 of the Greenfield expressway, built at a cost of around Rs 9,680 crore, during his visit to Jind in Haryana. Later in the day, he will inaugurate the 30.9-km-long Package 6 in Jalandhar, Punjab.

The six stretches form part of the 667-km Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, which is expected to decongest NH-44, also known as the GT Road, improve connectivity for pilgrims travelling to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine and support industrial and logistics development along the corridor.

Hydrogen Train and Haryana Projects

Prime Minister Modi will begin his visit in Jind, where he will flag off India’s first hydrogen-powered train between Jind and Sonipat from Jind railway station.

Developed using indigenous technology, the 10-coach, 3,200 HP train operates on hydrogen fuel cells that generate electricity while producing only water vapour as a by-product, resulting in zero carbon emissions. With its launch, India joins a select group of countries operating hydrogen-powered trains.

At Eklavya Stadium in Jind, the Prime Minister will dedicate and lay the foundation stone for development projects worth around Rs 14,700 crore before addressing a public gathering.

He will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for National Highway projects worth more than Rs 12,470 crore in Haryana. These include the 33.81-km Ambala-Kala Amb Highway on NH-7 and NH-344, aimed at improving connectivity between Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, and the 40.60-km Jind-Gohana Greenfield Highway on NH-352A, which will reduce travel time between Jind and Gohana from about two hours to 40 minutes.

Modi will also lay the foundation stone for the Hansi-Barwala Brownfield Highway Project and dedicate the elevated railway track at Kurukshetra to improve traffic flow and road safety.

In the healthcare and cultural sectors, he will dedicate Pandit Neki Ram Sharma Government Medical College in Bhiwani and Maharishi Chyawan Medical College and Rao Tula Ram Hospital in Narnaul. He will also lay the foundation stone for the Sikh Museum in Kurukshetra, which will showcase the history and legacy of the Sikh Gurus using modern technology.

Chandigarh Projects Focus on Healthcare and Education

During his visit to Chandigarh, the Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for projects worth over Rs 4,700 crore covering healthcare, education and road infrastructure.

These include the inauguration of the Advanced Mother and Child Centre and the Advanced Neurosciences Centre at PGIMER, Chandigarh. He will also lay the foundation stone for a 150-bed Critical Care Block under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission.

Modi will further inaugurate infrastructure projects at Punjab Engineering College and Government College, Sector 46. He will also inaugurate the six-lane Greenfield Highway connecting IT City to Kurali and lay the foundation stone for the PR-7 Spur of the Ambala-Chandigarh Greenfield Highway.

Rail and Road Projects in Punjab

In Jalandhar, the Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for rail and road infrastructure projects worth over Rs 5,470 crore.

He will inaugurate 75 redeveloped railway stations across 20 states under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, including Jalandhar Cantonment railway station. Developed at a cost of around Rs 1,570 crore, the stations have been upgraded with modern passenger amenities while incorporating local heritage and architectural features.

Modi will also inaugurate the Daulatpur Chowk-Kartoli rail line, built at a cost of around Rs 830 crore under the Nangal Dam-Talwara-Mukerian New Rail Line Project.

In addition, he will flag off the Kartoli-Ambala and Amritsar (Chheharta)-Varanasi train services, inaugurate Package 6 of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway and lay the foundation stone for the Southern Ludhiana Bypass.

According to the PMO, the bypass project will reduce travel distance and journey time between Ludhiana and Bathinda while strengthening connectivity with other major economic centres in the region.