NEW DELHI: Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Wednesday while replying to an unstarred question raised by Trivendra Singh Rawat, MP from Haridwar in Lok Sabha regarding the rail service for pilgrims in Uttarakhand said that Haridwar currently receives 88 train services, while Dehradun is served by 36 trains.
The Minister said that the railway network operated across state boundaries and that new services were introduced according to network requirements. He said that Dehradun and Haridwar were connected to cities such as Varanasi, Gaya, Puri, Patna and Kolkata through multiple train pairs. He added that the connections included three pairs to Varanasi, one pair to Gaya, one pair to Puri, two pairs to Patna and three pairs to Kolkata.
Our correspondent reports that the statement included a detailed list of trains serving both stations. The Minister said that Haridwar received trains including the Jan Shatabdi, Express and Vande Bharat services. He said that Dehradun was linked through Shatabdi, Jan Shatabdi, Nanda Devi, Kumbh, Upasana and several other express trains.
Our correspondent adds that the Minister clarified that Indian Railways operated special trains during festivals, holidays and major religious gatherings. He said that these services were run after taking into account operational feasibility and traffic justification. He also said that new trains were introduced only after reviewing track capacity, path availability, rolling stock availability and maintenance requirements.
Our correspondent reports that the list placed before the House specified all trains currently operating to Haridwar. These included services from Anand Vihar, Lucknow, New Delhi, Amritsar, Howrah, Valsad, Prayagraj Sangam, Laxmi Bai Nagar, Jammu Tawi, Katra, Firozpur, Bikaner, Barmer, Muzaffarpur, Gorakhpur, Tanakpur, Banaras, Puri, Bandra, Sabarmati, Bhavnagar, Okha, Udaipur City and Thiruvananthapuram North. Passenger and MEMU services to Rishikesh and other nearby destinations were also included.
Our correspondent adds that the Minister presented a separate list of trains serving Dehradun station. These included the Vande Bharat services from Anand Vihar and Lucknow, the Shatabdi Express from New Delhi, the Jan Shatabdi to New Delhi and Kathgodam, and long-distance trains from Howrah, Kota, Subedarganj, Kathgodam, Muzaffarpur, Gorakhpur, Tanakpur, Banaras, Okha and Saharanpur.
Our correspondent reports that the Minister reiterated that festivals and religious seasons often required additional train services. He said that such operations were reviewed regularly and were implemented only when conditions allowed. He added that infrastructure limitations and technical requirements often shaped the final decision on special services.
The Minister concluded that any proposal for new trains would be evaluated based on the availability of suitable tracks, rolling stock, maintenance facilities and operational paths. He said that Indian Railways continued to monitor demand on all sectors and would introduce services as conditions permitted.
Dheeraj reports on governance, public services, jobs, and regional developments across Uttarakhand. He specialises in recruitment news, public-sector updates, and civic issues that impact everyday citizens. His reporting brings accuracy, context, and a grassroots perspective to local journalism.
