Modi flags off Kerala's first Vande Bharat Express

THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off Kerala's first Vande Bharat Express on Tuesday which will run from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasargod. PM Modi flagged off Vande Bharat Express at Thiruvananthapuram Central Station.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and Governor Arif Mohammed Khan were present on the ocassion.

According to Prime Minister's Office, the Vande Bharat train will cover 11 districts namely Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod. Vande Bharat Express is an indigenously manufactured, semi-high-speed, self-propelled train set.

The train has state-of-the-art passenger amenities, providing passengers with a faster, more comfortable and more convenient travel experience. Prime Minister Modi, who is in Kerala today, will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate various projects worth more than Rs 3,200 crore.

Prime Minister will also inaugurate the Kochi Water Metro, one of its kind project that connects 10 islands around Kochi through battery-operated electric hybrid boats for seamless connectivity with the city.

Apart from Kochi Water Metro, rail electrification of the Dindigul-Palani-Palakkad section will also be dedicated by the Prime Minister.

During the event, PM Modi will also lay the foundation of various rail projects including the redevelopment of Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, and Varkala Sivagiri railway stations; comprehensive development of Thiruvananthapuram area including Nemon and Kochuveli and increasing of sectional speed of Thiruvananthapuram-Shoranur section.

Prime Minister will further lay the foundation stone of the Digital Science Park in Thiruvananthapuram.