PM Modi unveils development projects worth over ₹830 crore, flags off three Amrit Bharat trains in Bengal

Daily Update

The PM Modi also inaugurated the Jayrambati-Baragopinathpur-Maynapur rail line, and flagged off a train between Maynapur and Jayrambati.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (January 18, 2026) launched development projects worth more than ₹830 crore in West Bengal and flagged off three Amrit Bharat trains connecting Kolkata with other parts of the country.

At a function in Hooghly district’s Singur, the prime minister also inaugurated the Jayrambati-Baragopinathpur-Maynapur rail line, and flagged off a train between Maynapur and Jayrambati.

“All central projects will accelerate the development of West Bengal. The central government is working to meet the goal of a developed eastern India,” Mr. Modi said while addressing the programme.

The PM Modi laid the foundation stone for the Extended Port Gate System, including an Inland Water Transport (IWT) terminal and a road over bridge, at Balagarh in Hooghly district, according to a statement released by PMO.

Spread over approximately 900 acres of land, Balagarh is being developed as a modern cargo handling terminal with an contemplated capacity of about 2.7 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).

The Balagarh project aims to significantly improve cargo evacuation efficiency by diverting vessel movement away from congested urban corridors.

Mr. Modi also flagged off three Amrit Bharat Express trains linking Kolkata with New Delhi, Varanasi and Chennai.

These trains will run on the Howrah–Anand Vihar Terminal, Sealdah–Banaras, and Santragachi–Tambaram routes.

The BJP and NDA have stopped the “jungle raj” in Bihar and West Bengal. PM Modi said today, throwing an open challenge to the Mamata Banerjee-led party ahead of the Assembly polls this year. Addressing a rally in Bengal’s Singur, the Prime Minister appealed to the people to take a pledge: “paltano dorkar (change is necessary)”.

It is due to the efforts of the BJP government that Durga Puja got the UNESCO World Heritage tag. These people in Trinamool were partners in Sonia Sonia Gandhi. Couldn’t they have done these? It is Modi who has so much love for Bengal.

Amid the two-day visit to West Bengal, PM Modi is set to inaugurate, lay the foundation stone of and flag off development projects worth over ₹830 crore in West Bengal’s Hooghly district.

**flags off three Amrit Bharat trains in Bengal**

Returning to West Bengal after an overnight halt in Assam,PM Modi is scheduled to address a public rally at Sinpur, the site of the abandoned Tata Nano car project. The BJP is expected to sharpen its pitch on industrialization and investment in the state, using Singur’s industrial legacy as political messaging.

PM Modi

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for the Extended Port Gate System at Balagarh, comprised an Inland Water Transport (IWT) terminal and a Road Over Bridge.

Spread across nearly 900 acres, the Balagarh project is being developed as a modern cargo-handling terminal with an contemplated capacity of 2.7 million tonnes per annum. The facility has been planned with two jetties—one dedicated to containerised cargo and the other for dry bulk cargo.

The project aims to improve cargo evacuation efficiency by diverting heavy cargo movement away from congested urban areas. The PMO noted that this is expected to ease traffic congestion, enhance road safety and reduce pollution in Kolkata.

The announcement comes as the PM Modi resumes his two-day visit to the state amidst a charged political environment ahead of the assembly elections.

The Prime Minister will also launch a state-of-the-art electric catamaran in Kolkata to support urban river mobility, eco-tourism and last-mile connectivity along the Hooghly river.

Built natively by Cochin Shipyard Ltd, the 50-passenger hybrid electric aluminum catamaran is equipped with advanced electric propulsion systems and lithium-titanate battery technology for zero-emission operations in electric mode and extended endurance in hybrid mode. It is one of six such vessels being constructed for inland water transport.

Rail infrastructure is also part of the day’s agenda. PM Modi will inaugurate the Jayrambati–Baragopinathpur–Maynapur new rail line, a key segment of the under-construction Tarkeshwar–Bishnupur rail project. Along the way, a new passenger train service between Maynapur and Jayrambati, with a halt at Barogopinathpur, will be flagged off, providing direct rail connectivity to Bankura district for commuters, students and pilgrims.(Edited)Restore original.

The PM Modi will additionally flag off three Amrit Bharat Express trains—the Howrah–Anand Vihar Terminal, Sealdah–Banaras and Santragachi–Tambaram services—to strengthen long-range rail connectivity between West Bengal and other regions.

Singur’s Political Symbolism

The choice of Singur as the rally site is not incidental. Near two decades ago, protests against land acquisition for Tata Motors’ Nano plant forced the automaker to move the project to Gujarat. The BJP has repeatedly invoked the episode as evidence of a missed industrial opportunity and has promised to revive industrial growth in the state if voted to power.

On Saturday, the PM Modi launched multiple rail and road infrastructure projects from Malda and flagged off the first Vande Bharat sleeper train service between Howrah and Guwahati. He also mounted an attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government, accusing it of enabling illegal infiltration and allowing a “syndicate raj” to flourish.

With assembly elections expected in early 2026, the BJP–TMC rivalry is intensifying. Earlier this week, the West Bengal Police filed four FIRs against 20 Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, accusing them of trespass and blockage after the ED raided the I-PAC office. The move signaled a rare escalation by the state police against a central investigative agency.

The confrontation drew judicial intervention. The Supreme Court halted police investigations against the ED officials, effectively pausing the police investigation.