Bhuj: The long-awaited passenger train service to Abdasa taluka is set to become operational soon, following the successful trial of an electric passenger train on the Bhuj–Naliya route on Wednesday.

Principal Chief Electrical Engineer of the Mumbai Railway Division, Ranjan Srivastava, along with his team, conducted an inspection of the newly electrified 101-km railway track. The train departed from Bhuj at 9:00 a.m. and reached Naliya by 12:00 p.m., stopping at all designated stations, including Sanosara, Mothala, and Kothara. According to Chief Electrician Someshwar Gor, the return journey began at 1:40 p.m., during which the train achieved a top speed of 110 km/h, arriving back in Bhuj at 3:40 p.m.

Freight services on the Bhuj–Naliya route began last year. With the successful completion of this electric passenger train trial, regular passenger services are expected to commence soon. Once the trains begin running at full speed, the travel time between Bhuj and Naliya is expected to be reduced to just 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Electrification of the route was completed in February 2025. The introduction of passenger services is expected to significantly improve connectivity for residents of western Kutch and surrounding areas, particularly benefitting traders and those residing outside the region.

There is growing speculation that the formal announcement of the passenger train launch may coincide with an upcoming visit by the Prime Minister to Bhuj. DeshGujarat