New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday flagged off six new Vande Bharat trains. The new services will cover routes including Tatanagar to Patna, Brahmapur to Tatanagar, Rourkela to Howrah, Deoghar to Varanasi, Bhagalpur to Howrah, and Gaya to Howrah.
With this addition, the Vande Bharat fleet grew from 54 to 60 trains, allowing for a total of 120 trips each day and connecting over 280 districts across 24 states and union territories. Earlier in the day, PM Modi tweeted, “We are determined for the rapid development of Jharkhand. Today at around 10 am, I will have the privilege of flagging off six ‘Vande Bharat’ trains at Tatanagar, as well as laying the foundation stone and inaugurating many more projects. Apart from this, I will also be a part of the program related to the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin.”
झारखंड के तेज विकास के लिए हम कृतसंकल्प हैं। आज सुबह करीब 10 बजे टाटानगर में छह 'वंदे भारत' को हरी झंडी दिखाने के साथ साथ कई और परियोजनाओं का शिलान्यास और उद्घाटन का सौभाग्य मिलेगा । इसके अलावा पीएम आवास योजना-ग्रामीण के लाभार्थियों से जुड़े कार्यक्रम का भी हिस्सा बनूंगा।…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 15, 2024
Features in new Vande Bharat trains
These new trains are part of the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative and are designed to offer a modern and efficient travel experience. They are capable of reaching speeds of up to 160 kmph. The Vande Bharat 2.0 trains come equipped with advanced features such as rapid acceleration, the Kavach safety system, anti-virus technology, and onboard WiFi.
Regular travellers, workers, businessmen and students will benefit greatly from the introduction of these Vande Bharat Express trains. These trains will promote religious tourism in the region by providing high-speed transport to pilgrimage sites such as Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar, Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, Kalighat in Kolkata, Belur Math, etc.
Prime Minister Modi will also lay the foundation for several railway projects worth more than Rs 660 crore. He will also distribute acceptance letters to 20,000 beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), which provides housing for the rural poor, via videoconferencing.
PM Modi to also visit Gujarat
In Gujarat, PM Modi will inaugurate the Ahmedabad-Bhuj Vande Metro service. This fully air-conditioned service will have no reserved seating but will accommodate up to 1,150 seated and 2,058 standing passengers. It will operate at speeds of 110 kmph and complete the 360 km journey in about 5 hours and 45 minutes.
During his visit to Gujarat, PM Modi will also inaugurate the fourth edition of the ‘Global Renewable Energy Investors Meet and Expo’ (RE-Invest 2024). Additionally, he will oversee the launch of various development projects in Ahmedabad valued at over Rs 8,000 crore, including the second phase of the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar Metro Rail Service.
