Modi to flag off 5 new Vande Bharat Express trains tomorrow

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off five new Vande Bharat Express trains physically and virtually from Rani Kamlapati Railway Station in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal on Tuesday, an official statement said on Monday.

At around 10:30 AM, the Prime Minister will reach Rani Kamalapati Railway Station and flag off five Vande Bharat Express trains. This includes -- Rani Kamalapati-Jabalpur Vande Bharat Express; Khajuraho-Bhopal-Indore Vande Bharat Express; Madgaon (Goa)-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express; Dharwad-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express; and Hatia-Patna Vande Bharat Express.

Rani Kamalapati-Jabalpur Vande Bharat Express will connect Mahakaushal Region (Jabalpur) to the Central Region (Bhopal) of Madhya Pradesh. Also, improved connectivity will benefit tourist places like Bheraghat, Pachmarhi, Satpura, etc. The train will be faster by about thirty minutes compared to the fastest train on the route.

Khajuraho-Bhopal-Indore Vande Bharat Express will improve the connectivity of the Malwa Region (Indore) and Bundelkhand Region (Khajuraho) to the Central Region (Bhopal). This will benefit important tourist sites like Mahakaleshwar, Mandu, Maheshwar, Khajuraho, and Panna.

The train will be about two hours and thirty minutes faster than the fastest existing train on the route. Madgaon (Goa)-Mumbai The Vande Bharat Express will be Goa's first Vande Bharat Express. It will run between Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Goa's Madgaon station. It will help save about one hour of journey time when compared with the current fastest train connecting the two places.

Dharwad-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express will connect important cities in Karnataka - Dharwad, Hubballi, and Davangere - with the state capital, Bengaluru. It will immensely benefit tourists, students, industrialists, etc. in the region. The train will be faster by about thirty minutes compared to the fastest train on the route.

Hatia-Patna Vande Bharat Express will be the first Vande Bharat for Jharkhand and Bihar. Enhancing connectivity between Patna and Ranchi, the train will be a boon for tourists, students, and businessmen. It will help save about one hour and twenty-five minutes of journey time when compared with the current fastest train connecting the two places, the official statement read.

According to official release, PM Modi will also attend a public programme in Shahdol at around 3 PM, where he will honour Rani Durgavati, launch the Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission, and kickstart the distribution of Ayushman cards. PM Modi will also visit Pakaria village in Shahdol District. At a public programme in Shahdol, he will also launch the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission.

He will also distribute sickle cell genetic status cards to the beneficiaries. The Mission aims to address the pressing health challenges posed by sickle cell disease, particularly among the tribal population. The launch will mark a crucial milestone in the Government's ongoing efforts to eliminate sickle cell disease as a public health problem by 2047.

The National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission was announced in the Union Budget 2023. This will be implemented in 278 districts in 17 high-focused states in the country, namely Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, and Uttarakhand.

The Prime Minister will kickstart the distribution of about 3.57 crore Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) cards in Madhya Pradesh. The ceremony for the distribution of Ayushman cards is being organised at Urban bodies, Gram panchayats, and Development Blocks across the state.

The Ayushman card distribution campaign is a step towards realising the Prime Minister's vision of reaching out to every beneficiary to ensure 100 per cent saturation of welfare schemes. During the programme, the Prime Minister will honour Rani Durgavati on the occasion of the conclusion of the 'Rani Durgavati Gaurav Yatra'.

The Yatra is being organised by the Madhya Pradesh Government to popularise Rani Durgavati's valour and sacrifice. Rani Durgavati was the ruling queen of Gondwana in the mid-16th century. She is remembered as a brave, fearless, and courageous warrior who fought for freedom against the Mughals, the official release read.

In a unique initiative, the Prime Minister will visit Pakaria village in Shahdol district and interact with leaders of tribal communities, Self-Help Groups, leaders of PESA [Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996] committees, and Captains of Village Football Clubs. The Prime Minister will witness a cultural program by tribal and folk artists and also have dinner at the village, the official release added.