Hydrogen rail, new highways and hospitals: PM Modi rolls out ₹19,400 crore of development projects across Haryana and Chandigarh
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched and inaugurated development projects worth nearly ₹19,400 crore across Haryana and Chandigarh, with a focus on green mobility, healthcare, road connectivity, education and urban infrastructure.
The biggest announcement was the launch of India's first hydrogen fuel cell-powered train on the 90-km Jind-Sonipat section of Northern Railway, marking the country's entry into hydrogen-powered rail transport. Built under the Make in India initiative, the train has 10 coaches and a 3,200-horsepower engine, making it one of the most powerful hydrogen trains globally. The project is expected to pave the way for cleaner rail transport while creating new manufacturing and employment opportunities around hydrogen infrastructure.
Launch of highways, healthcare and cultural infrastructure
In Haryana, Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for projects worth around ₹14,700 crore covering railways, highways, healthcare and cultural infrastructure. Key road projects include the opening of a section of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, the Jind-Gohana National Highway and the Ambala-Kala Amb four-lane highway, aimed at improving regional connectivity and reducing travel time. He also announced the foundation stone for a Sikh Museum in Kurukshetra.
Inauguration of Pandit Neki Ram Sharma Medical College
The Prime Minister also inaugurated Pandit Neki Ram Sharma Medical College in Bhiwani and Maharishi Chyavan Medical College along with Rao Tularam Hospital in Narnaul, which are expected to strengthen healthcare services and expand medical education capacity in the state.
Major healthcare projects in Chandigarh
In Chandigarh, Modi launched and laid the foundation stone for projects worth over ₹4,700 crore across healthcare, education and road infrastructure. Major healthcare projects include the expansion of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) through a new Neurosciences Centre, a Mother and Child Care Centre and a Critical Care Hospital Block, which are expected to enhance tertiary healthcare services for patients from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Chandigarh.
Kurukshetra Boys Hostel at Punjab Engineering College
On the education front, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Kurukshetra Boys Hostel at Punjab Engineering College and laid the foundation stone for new accommodation facilities for research scholars to strengthen higher education and research infrastructure.
Urban infrastructure projects in Chandigarh include a six-lane greenfield road connecting IT City to Kurali to ease congestion on airport-bound traffic and the foundation stone for the PR-7 Spur road, aimed at improving connectivity across the city. The projects form part of the city's broader smart infrastructure push, under which investments have also been made in digital governance, smart traffic management and integrated command and control systems.
The projects launched across Haryana and Chandigarh are expected to boost connectivity, improve access to healthcare and education, promote sustainable transport and support economic activity in the region.