Several new long-distance trains including Duranto Express between Howrah and Pune are ready to be launched soon, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said.
"Several new trains like Howrah-Pune Duranto Express, Howrah-Digha Duranto Express, Kamakhya-Dhupguri Fast passenger and Alipurduar-Lamding Intercity Express are ready to flag-off", Banerjee said after inaugurating 17 pairs of new local trains.
Howrah-Pune Duranto Express would be inaugurated before the Pujas, she said.
Several railway projects announced in the rail budget including an axle factory at New Jalpaiguri and a diesel multiple unit in Sankrail of Howrah district were being taken up for West Bengal, she said.
The axle factory would be set up at a cost of Rs 284 crore while a Rs 135.82 crore wagon manufacturing unit at Haldia. The DMU factory at Sankrail would be set up at a cost of Rs 249.3 crore, she said.
She also announced that a wagon-manufacturing unit would be set up at Guwahati.