Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to flag off India's first hydrogen fuel cell train from Jind, Haryana, on Friday. During the visit, he will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for development projects worth a total of ₹26,800 crore across Haryana, Punjab, and Chandigarh.
The visit includes projects related to railways, roads, healthcare, and education.
The hydrogen fuel cell train will operate between Jind and Sonipat. With the launch of the service, India will join a select group of countries operating hydrogen-powered trains.
Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said hydrogen is being viewed globally as a new source of energy. He said India is making rapid progress in the sector under the National Green Hydrogen Mission and that the use of hydrogen technology in the transport sector will be important for the future.
During the visit, development projects worth ₹26,800 crore will be inaugurated or have their foundation stones laid across Haryana, Punjab, and Chandigarh.
In Haryana, projects worth about ₹14,700 crore will be inaugurated and launched. These include national highway projects and various packages of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway.
In Chandigarh, projects worth approximately ₹6,600 crore will be inaugurated. These include the 300-bed Advanced Mother and Child Centre and the Advanced Neurosciences Centre at PGI. The six-lane greenfield highway connecting IT City and Kurali will also be inaugurated.
Later in the afternoon, the Prime Minister will visit Jalandhar, where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for rail and road projects worth about ₹5,470 crore. The visit will include the inauguration of the redeveloped Jalandhar Cantonment railway station. In addition, 75 redeveloped railway stations across the country will be inaugurated under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.
Extensive security arrangements have been made in Punjab and Haryana in view of the Prime Minister's visit. Traffic diversions will remain in effect on the Jalandhar-Delhi National Highway from morning until evening. Alternative routes have been designated for vehicles travelling towards Ludhiana, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, and Pathankot. Heavy vehicles will also be diverted to separate routes to minimise traffic disruption during VVIP movement.
In Haryana, additional security measures have also been implemented. A large police deployment has been made across multiple districts, with enhanced surveillance along the VVIP route. The administration has appealed to the public to check traffic advisories before travelling and to use the designated alternative routes.
According to the source, this is Prime Minister Modi's 18th visit to Haryana.
