New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked a significant milestone in India’s infrastructural development on Sunday as he unveiled nine Vande Bharat Express trains that will connect religious and tourist destinations across 11 states. The grand inauguration ceremony was conducted through a video conference, where the PM himself flagged off these state-of-the-art trains, including the Ranchi-Howrah Vande Bharat Express.
In his address during the event, Prime Minister Modi expressed his enthusiasm for the nation’s continued progress. “The country craves this kind of infrastructural development,” he remarked. He went on to highlight the significance of these new trains, emphasizing that they are symbolic of the New India that is rapidly taking shape.
“The new Vande Bharat trains will significantly enhance connectivity across the nation and embody the renewed spirit and excitement of New India,” Prime Minister Modi affirmed. He further added, “With 25 Vande Bharat trains already in operation and nine more joining the fleet today, the day is not far when these trains will connect every corner of the country.”
Underlining the growing popularity of the Vande Bharat Express trains, the Prime Minister disclosed, “Over one crore eleven lakh passengers have already travelled on these trains.”
The newly inaugurated Vande Bharat Express trains and their respective routes are as follows:
- Udaipur – Jaipur Vande Bharat Express
- Tirunelveli-Madurai-Chennai Vande Bharat Express
- Hyderabad – Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express
- Vijayawada – Chennai (via Renigunta) Vande Bharat Express
- Patna – Howrah Vande Bharat Express
- Kasaragod – Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express
- Rourkela – Bhubaneswar – Puri Vande Bharat Express
- Ranchi – Howrah Vande Bharat Express
- Jamnagar-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express
These Vande Bharat Express trains are poised to become the fastest mode of rail transportation along their respective routes, providing passengers with significant time savings. In comparison to the current fastest trains on these routes, the Vande Bharat Express trains will offer the following time savings:
- Rourkela- Bhubaneswar – Puri Vande Bharat Express and Kasaragod – Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express will be faster by about 3 hours.
- Hyderabad – Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express will save passengers more than 2.5 hours.
- Tirunelveli-Madurai- Chennai Vande Bharat Express will reduce travel time by over 2 hours.
- Ranchi – Howrah Vande Bharat Express, Patna – Howrah Vande Bharat Express, and Jamnagar-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express will offer approximately 1-hour time savings.
- Udaipur – Jaipur Vande Bharat Express will reduce travel time by about half an hour.
The introduction of these state-of-the-art trains is a significant step toward enhancing connectivity and ensuring more efficient and comfortable rail travel for passengers across the country. The Vande Bharat Express trains represent a testament to India’s commitment to modernization and progress in the realm of transportation infrastructure.
