Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday flagged off four new Vande Bharat Express trains here from the Banaras railway station in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
The new Vande Bharat Express trains will operate on the Banaras-Khajuraho, Lucknow-Saharanpur, Firozpur-Delhi and Ernakulam-Bengaluru routes.
Underscoring infrastructure to be a major factor in the economic growth of developed countries worldwide, the Prime Minister said India is also moving fast on the path of development.
“In developed countries across the world, the biggest reason for economic growth has been their infrastructure. In every nation that has achieved major progress, the driving force behind it has been infrastructure development,” the PM said from the Banaras railway station in Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency.
However, infrastructure is not just about “big bridges and highways”, added the Prime Minister. “Whenever such systems are developed anywhere, it sparks the overall development of that region… With so many Vande Bharat trains running and flights arriving from countries across the world, all these developments are now linked to growth. Today, India too is moving rapidly on this path,” he said.
On the new Vande Bharat Express trains, he said, “Trains like Vande Bharat, Namo Bharat and Amrit Bharat are laying the foundation of a new generation of Indian Railways.”
The PM said devotees visiting pilgrimage sites in Uttar Pradesh have contributed thousands of crores of rupees to the state’s economy, adding that the government’s endeavour is to “make visiting Varanasi and staying here a special experience for everyone”.
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The development work done in Uttar Pradesh in the last 11 years has taken the pilgrimage centres in the state “to a new level”, he said.
The semi-high-speed trains will significantly reduce travel time between major stations across the country, besides encouraging regional connectivity, promoting tourism, and supporting infrastructure development, according to an official statement.
The Banaras-Khajuraho Vande Bharat, for instance, will connect prominent cultural and religious destinations including Varanasi, Prayagraj and Chitrakoot, officials said. It will save about 2 hours and 40 minutes on this route, compared to the special trains that are currently operating.
Meanwhile, the Lucknow-Saharanpur Vande Bharat will cover the journey in about 7 hours and 45 minutes, saving nearly 1 hour of travel time.
Of all the new trains flagged off, the Firozpur-Delhi Vande Bharat will be the fastest train on the route, completing its journey in just 6 hours and 40 minutes. It is set to connect key Punjab cities like Firozpur, Bathinda, and Patiala.
The Southern Railway said in a press release that it now has a total of 12 pairs of Vande Bharat trains that will operate under the Southern Railway jurisdiction.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also attended the event.
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