Takht Sri Hazur Sahib: The central government has announced the introduction of a direct weekly express train service linking Tanakpur in Uttarakhand’s Terai region to Takht Sri Hazur Sahib Nanded in Maharashtra, fulfilling a long-standing demand of the region’s Sikh community. Confirming the development, Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu stated that the new Nanded-Tanakpur Weekly Express will be officially flagged off on July 6, 2026. The initial inaugural special train will depart from Tanakpur under the joint virtual inauguration of Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, with regular scheduled commercial runs slated to commence mid-July.
The operational deployment of the 21-coach LHB rake follows intensive coordination between Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and the Ministry of Railways to establish a permanent link for pilgrims from the Kumaon and Terai belts. According to the approved schedule, the regular service of the 17631 Nanded-Tanakpur Express will depart Nanded every Sunday at 23:40 hours and arrive in Tanakpur on Tuesday morning at 05:55 hours. In the return direction, the 17632 Tanakpur-Nanded Express will leave Tanakpur every Tuesday at 09:00 hours, covering a total distance of 1,577 kilometres via Mathura, Bina, Khandwa, and Akola to reach Nanded on Wednesday afternoon at 16:30 hours. Minister Bittu underscored that this direct connectivity eliminates the logistical hurdles of multiple train transfers and arduous road journeys, drastically simplifying the spiritual transit for thousands of regional devotees heading to the holy shrine.
