On August 31, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off three new Vande Bharat trains, which will connect Meerut to Lucknow, Madurai to Bengaluru and Chennai to Nagercoil. A government statement said the initiative is aimed at improving rail connectivity in the southern states and promoting faster growth, which is important for achieving the goal of a developed India by 2047.
Speaking via video conference, Modi stressed the importance of the southern states in India’s development. He said the increased budget allocation for Tamil Nadu and Karnataka has strengthened rail transport in the southern states.
The new Meerut City-Lucknow Vande Bharat train will save passengers about an hour compared to the existing fastest train between the two cities. Meanwhile, the Chennai Egmore-Nagercoil Vande Bharat train will save over two hours of time. At the same time, the travel time on the Bengaluru Vande Bharat train will be reduced by about 1.30 hours.
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Meerut Lucknow PM Modi spoke about Vande Bharat
After stopping the trains, Modi reiterated his government’s commitment to ensure a comfortable journey for all passengers of Indian Railways. Talking about the modernisation of the railway network, he said that this mission will continue till the railways ensure comfort to the poor, the middle class and everyone else. Modi emphasised on the changes that are taking place since the introduction of Vande Bharat trains. He said that today the people of UP and especially Western UP have received good news through the Vande Bharat train on the Meerut-Lucknow route.
He said that Meerut and Western UP are the land of revolution. Today this area is witnessing a new development revolution. Vande Bharat is the new face of modern Indian Railways. Today there is demand for Vande Bharat on all the routes of the city. The arrival of high speed trains gives people the confidence to expand their businesses, employment and dreams. 102 Vande Bharat Railway services are running across the country.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the widespread use of Vande Bharat trains. The success of Vande Bharat trains can be gauged from the fact that over three crore people have travelled on these trains so far. PM Modi underlined that be it electrification of railway lines, running of new trains or construction of new routes, work on all these is progressing at a rapid pace. Over Rs 2.5 lakh crore has been given to the railways in this year’s budget. We are connecting Indian Railways.
Vande Bharat’s future plan
Modi mentioned the upcoming launch of sleeper versions of Vande Bharat trains and introduction of Vande Metro trains to address urban traffic issues. He said that the sleeper version of Vande Bharat train will also come very soon. Namo Bharat train runs in big cities for the convenience of people and Vande Metro is also being used to eliminate the traffic problem within cities.
Modi also gave an update on the progress of the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. He said that over 1,300 railway stations are being renovated to increase travel facilities. PM Modi said that through this scheme, stations are also being upgraded and cities are getting a new identity. Today, over 1,300 railway stations are being renovated in the country. Today, railway stations in many places in the country are being converted into airports. This is becoming easier.
