New Delhi, Dec 17 (IANS) In a major political development ahead of the early 2027 Assembly polls in Punjab, the Union government on Wednesday approved the stoppage of the Ferozepur-Delhi Vande Bharat Express in Barnala town, benefiting at least six districts that fall in the politically sensitive Malwa region.

The stoppage will mainly benefit commuters of Barnala, Mansa, Malerkotla and Sangrur districts.

Justifying the decision, Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu said the demand for the train stoppage had been raised by political leaders across the spectrum.

Bittu said Aam Aadmi Party MPs from Punjab, Meet Hayer and Rajender Gupta and BJP leader Kewal Singh Dhillon had demanded that the Ferozepur-Delhi Vande Bharat train should have a stop at Barnala.

“My party told me that I should not go to Punjab till the Barnala stoppage for the Ferozepur-Delhi Vande Bharat train is approved. I am happy to announce that the approval came today, and the train will stop at Barnala. This will have a positive impact on the economy of Mansa Malerkotla and Sangrur, besides Barnala,” Bittu said in a video message posted on X.

Before this announcement, the Ferozepur-Delhi Vande Bharat Express stopped at Faridkot, Bathinda, Dhuri, Patiala, Ambala Cantonment, Kurukshetra and Panipat.

Earlier, Sangrur AAP MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer had announced a protest at the Barnala railway station if the Ferozepur-Delhi Vande Bharat Express did not include a halt there by December 1.

After this announcement, Hayer told the media that he had raised the issue in Parliament thrice, as Barnala “is at the hub 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,” he said.

–IANS

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