Kolkata, Dec 30 : Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday flagged off half a dozen express trains scheduled to operate from major Kolkata stations to destinations like Amritsar, Bangalore and Delhi while announcing that the Delhi-Mumbai Yuva Train will be start its journey Jan 12.

Jan 12 is the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. The new trains include the Howrah-Delhi Yuva express, in which 60 percent of the seats will be reserved for people up to the age of 45 with tickets prices ranging from Rs. 299 for 1,000 km to Rs. 399 for 2,500 km.    

Another train - the Howrah-Yashwantpur Duranto Express - will ferry passengers between the two destinations in less than one-and-half days. The non-stop train is Banerjee's brainchild. She also kicked off the Sealdah-Amritsar Express, the Kolkata-Bikaner Rana Pratap Express, Howrah-Hardwar Kumbh Express and the Howrah-Purulia Express.    

Regretting that West Bengal got only "one train" between 2004 and mid-2009, Banerjee said during the few months she has been in the ministry, the state has already got plenty of new trains. "The state will get more. Some more trains are ready. There will be two trains between north Bengal and Delhi," she said after flagging off the six trains at a function in Howrah station.(IANS)