Modi to launch projects worth ₹5,470 crore during Punjab visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Punjab on Friday to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for rail and road projects worth about ₹5,470 crore in Jalandhar.

The visit is important politically as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is preparing to contest the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections on its own. This will be Modi’s second visit to Jalandhar this year after his trip to Dera Sachkhand Ballan in February.

Security has been tightened ahead of the visit. Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav reviewed arrangements at Jalandhar Cantonment railway station, and the district has been declared a no-flying zone.

Railway projects and new trains

From Jalandhar Cantonment railway station, Modi will inaugurate 75 redeveloped railway stations across India under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. These stations have been modernised at a cost of around ₹1,570 crore.

Four of the upgraded stations are in Punjab — Jalandhar Cantonment, SAS Nagar (Mohali), Muktsar and Anandpur Sahib. The stations have been designed to reflect local culture, heritage and architecture.

The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the new Daulatpur Chowk-Kartoli rail line, built at a cost of ₹830 crore. The project is expected to improve connectivity between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, especially for people in Hoshiarpur and Una districts. It will also provide easier access to religious places such as Anandpur Sahib and Chintpurni Temple.

In addition, Modi will flag off two new train services. The Kartoli-Ambala train will improve rail connectivity across Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. The Amritsar (Chheharta)-Varanasi train will provide a direct rail link between two major religious and cultural cities.

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Highway and Chandigarh projects

The Prime Minister will also launch national highway projects worth more than ₹3,070 crore.

These include the inauguration of a 30.9-kilometre section of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway. The four-lane expressway is expected to reduce traffic congestion, improve travel and lower fuel consumption.

Modi will also lay the foundation stone for the 25.2-kilometre Southern Ludhiana Bypass. The six-lane road is expected to reduce travel time between Ludhiana and Bathinda and improve links between important economic centres.

Before reaching Jalandhar, Modi will stop in Chandigarh, where he is scheduled to launch healthcare, education and road infrastructure projects worth more than ₹4,700 crore.

Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon said the railway station redevelopment and infrastructure projects are part of the Prime Minister’s vision of modernising the country and strengthening Punjab’s role in India’s growth.