Centre Approves Vande Bharat Halt at Barnala Railway Station

Vande Bharat Halt: The Centre formally allowed the stoppage on Wednesday, more than a month after Sangrur AAP MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer threatened to stage a protest at the Barnala railway station if the Ferozepur-Delhi Vande Bharat Express did not stop there by December 1.

Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu confirmed that the demand for the stoppage had been long-standing and acknowledged the collective efforts of political representatives from the region. He said that Meet Hayer, along with MP Rajinder Gupta and former MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon, had sought the halt at Barnala.

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Bittu said: “I had been urged by party members to prioritise this issue for commuters of Punjab, and to visit the state only after the stop is approved. The new stop will not only serve residents of Barnala but also those in adjoining districts of Malerkotla, Sangrur, and Mansa.”

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When contacted, Hayer said, “I had raised the issue in Parliament thrice as Barnala is at the centre of Malwa. I met Bittu on this and am grateful the Union government has approved the halt. Barnala shares borders with five other districts, making it the reason for higher footfall.”

The Ferozepur-Delhi Vande Bharat Express currently makes stops in Faridkot, Bathinda, Dhuri, Patiala, Ambala Cantt, Kurukshetra, and Panipat.

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