Chandigarh Mayor Saurabh Joshi has written to Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, requesting the Ministry of Railways to examine the feasibility of extending Chandigarh-New Delhi Shatabdi Express up to Mathura-Vrindavan.
Highlighting a long-standing public demand, the Mayor pointed out that Train No. 12046 Chandigarh-New Delhi Shatabdi Express reaches New Delhi around 3.15 pm, and is stationed there for nearly four hours before returning to Chandigarh. He suggested that this turnaround time could be efficiently utilised by extending the service to Mathura-Vrindavan and back.
Saurabh Joshi stated that thousands of devotees, pilgrims, senior citizens, and tourists from Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh travel to the holy cities of Mathura and Vrindavan year-round. However, the absence of a direct rail connection often compels passengers to change trains at Delhi or rely on road transport, causing inconvenience and added travel time.
“The proposed extension would provide direct, comfortable, and time-efficient connectivity to one of the country’s most revered pilgrimage destinations while ensuring optimum utilisation of existing railway resources,” the Mayor said.
He further emphasised that the move would significantly boost religious tourism, strengthen regional connectivity, and offer much-needed convenience to devotees seeking hassle-free travel to the birthplace of Lord Krishna.
The Mayor expressed hope that the Ministry of Railways and Railway Board would consider the proposal sympathetically and undertake a detailed feasibility assessment in the larger public interest.
The proposal has already generated positive feedback from residents and devotees across the region, who believe that a direct Shatabdi connection to Mathura-Vrindavan would be a landmark step toward improving rail connectivity and promoting spiritual tourism.
