"Railways transformed under vision of PM Modi": Ashwini Vaishnaw

NEW DELHI: Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said that the railway sector has transformed under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last nine years.

"Under PM Modi's vision the railway sector has transformed in the past nine years... Several new facilities are being installed...," Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

"Please recall the condition of the railway stations in the last ten years. Today, the stations are safe,new facilities are being added up, like lift and elevators. Stations are being redesigned as per the requirements of the time," the Union Minister added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced that all the stations, which will be developed in the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal' will be called 'Amrit Bharat Stations'.

"We all know that there are several railway stations which have not been developed for the past several years... Work to develop these stations are underway... All the stations which will be developed in the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal' will be called 'Amrit Bharat Stations..."

PM Modi said in his virtual address as he flagged off nine Vande Bharat Express trains in eleven states. "Nine Vande Bharat Express trains being launched today will significantly improve connectivity as well as boost tourism across India," PM Modi said.

PM Modi said that the speed and scale of infrastructure development match with aspirations of 140 crore Indians. "The speed and scale of infrastructure development are matching with the aspirations of 140 crore Indians.

Today people of Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, Odisha, Jharkhand and Gujarat will get the facility of Vande Bharat Express trains. These new Vande Bharat Express trains depict the new energy of the country," PM Modi said while speaking at the launch of new trains.

PM Modi said that 25 Vande Bharat Express trains are already running, now nine more will be added to them."

The popularity of Vande Bharat trains is constantly rising. Over 1,11,00,000 crore passengers have already travelled on them," he added. The launch of these trains will connect religious and tourist destinations across 11 these states, a PMO statement said earlier.

The new trains are 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 and Jamnagar-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express.

These Vande Bharat trains will be the fastest trains along the routes of their operation and will help save considerable time for the passengers. As compared to the current fastest train along the route, the Rourkela- Bhubaneswar – Puri Vande Bharat Express and Kasaragod - Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express will be faster by about 3 hours. Hyderabad – Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express by more than 2.5 hours; Tirunelveli-Madurai- Chennai Vande Bharat Express by more than 2 hours.

Ranchi – Howrah Vande Bharat Express, Patna – Howrah Vande Bharat Express and Jamnagar-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express by about 1 hour; and Udaipur - Jaipur Vande Bharat Express by about half an hour.

"In line with the Prime Minister’s vision to improve connectivity of important religious places across the country, Rourkela- Bhubaneswar – Puri Vande Bharat Express and Tirunelveli-Madurai- Chennai Vande Bharat Express will connect important religious towns of Puri and Madurai. Also, the Vijayawada – Chennai Vande Bharat Express will operate via the Renigunta route and will provide connectivity to the Tirupati Pilgrimage Centre," the PMO statement added.

The introduction of these Vande Bharat trains will herald a new standard of rail service in the country. These trains, equipped with world-class amenities and advanced safety features, including Kavach technology, will be a key step towards providing modern, speedy and comfortable means of travel to common people, professionals, businessmen, student community and tourists," the PMO statement added.