The Uttar Pradesh state government and North Eastern Railway have officially granted theoretical approval for the construction of two major railway overbridges in Lucknow with an estimated investment of 333 crore rupees. Confirmed on September 11, 2026, this infrastructure boost follows persistent efforts by local representatives including Lucknow East MLA O.P. Srivastava and will officially commence after the 2026-27 financial year budget allocation. Alongside these urban transit upgrades, North Eastern Railway has announced a new festival special train connecting Barhni and Bandra via Aishbagh to cater to the upcoming festive rush. Both the infrastructure additions and the special train service aim to greatly improve passenger connectivity and ease traffic congestion for daily commuters and long-distance travellers alike.
The ambitious infrastructure project comprises two separate overbridge constructions designed to ease severe traffic bottlenecks across key residential and commercial zones in Lucknow. The first project involves a
763-meter-long overbridge at the Jugauli crossing with an estimated budget of 168 crore rupees. This vital link will directly benefit residents living in Gomti Nagar, Indira Nagar, Vishwas Khand, and Brahmpuri by eliminating long wait times at the railway crossing. The second project features an
813-meter-long overbridge at the Mahanagar crossing costing 165 crore rupees. This structure will provide smoother and faster travel options for commuters heading towards Mahanagar, Aliganj, Kapoorthala, Nishatganj, IT Chauraha, and Gol Market. Both overbridges are expected to drastically reduce vehicular congestion and improve overall urban mobility once completed.
To manage passenger traffic efficiently, North Eastern Railway has announced the operation of a special train service between Barhni and Bandra via Aishbagh. According to Sumit Kumar, the Chief Public Relations Officer of North Eastern Railway,
the service will operate for a total of eight trips between October 8 and November 28, 2026. Train number
05037 representing the Barhni-Bandra via Aishbagh Special will depart from Barhni every Thursday at 7:45 PM from October 8 to November 26. On the return direction, train number
05038 representing the Bandra-Barhni Special will depart from Bandra every Saturday at 9:30 AM from October 10 to November 28. This special service will consist of
16 coaches covering sleeper and general categories to accommodate diverse passenger segments. The train has scheduled stoppages at Tulsipur, Balrampur, Gonda, Kanpur Central, Etawah, Tundla, Idgah Agra, Bayana, Kota, Ratlam, Vadodara, Surat, Valsad, Vapi, and Borivali stations, making it a convenient travel option for passengers along this major corridor.
