VARANASI/ERNAKULAM: In a major boost to enhancing connectivity across various regions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday flagged off four new Vande Bharat Express trains during his visit to his parliamentary constituency Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The introduction of new Vande Bharat trains signifies yet another milestone in India’s expanding network of semi-high-speed trains. These trains will operate on the Varanasi-Khajuraho, Lucknow-Saharanpur, Firozpur-Delhi and Ernakulam-Bengaluru routes, promising faster travel and improved connectivity across several regions of the country. The Banaras-Khajuraho Vande Bharat will connect prominent cultural and religious destinations including Varanasi, Prayagraj and Chitrakoot.
The event was held at Banaras railway station from where one train was shown a green flag, while the other three were flagged off virtually. Addressing a large public gathering after the launch, PM Modi described the event as a “festival of development.” “I saw the magnificent Dev Deepawali being held here and today, I congratulate you all for this festival of development. The countries which have seen economic development, infrastructure has played a massive role there,” he said. Emphasising the transformative power of infrastructure, he noted that the growth of cities and regions accelerates naturally once they receive improved connectivity. “Infrastructure has played an important role in the development of most nations. The development of a city begins on its own as soon as it gets better connectivity. Infrastructure is not limited to huge bridges and highways,” he said. Dwelling upon the spiritual and economic significance of India’s pilgrimage sites and the increased connectivity with launch of new trains, PM Modi said that India’s pilgrimage sites are centres of faith and energy.
“These trains not only connect heritage cities but also accelerate development. In the last 11 years, the developmental works in Uttar Pradesh have strengthened the economy. Last year, 11 crore devotees visited Baba Vishwanath, and over 6 crore devotees had darshan of Ram Lalla — their visits have contributed thousands of crores to the state’s economy,” he said. With these additions, the total number of operational Vande Bharat trains in the country has now crossed 160. “Trains such as Vande Bharat, Namo Bharat, and Amrit Bharat are laying the foundation for the next generation of Indian Railways,” he said, adding, “Vande Bharat is a train made by Indians, for Indians, and of Indians, symbolising the self-reliant spirit of the nation. He also spoke at length about development projects in Varanasi: new hospitals, roads, and gas pipelines, and even better internet connectivity. He pointed to key health institutions like Mahamana Cancer Hospital, Shankar Netralaya, and Centenary Hospital at BHU, saying that Varanasi has now emerged as the health capital of the region. The Prime Minister also interacted with the students present in the flag-off ceremony and appreciated their efforts toward art and writing competitions on the themes of Viksit Bharat, Viksit Kashi, and Surakshit Bharat. He suggested organising a national children’s literary meet to encourage such young talent.
While Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw attended the event in Varanasi, Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar and Union Ministers Suresh Gopi, George Kurian, and Ravneet Singh Bittu joined via video conferencing. These new Vande Bharat trains will mark a major reduction in travel time, increasing connectivity further across the breadth and length of India. The Banaras–Khajuraho route will cut almost three hours of travel time to connect major spiritual centres; the Lucknow–Saharanpur train will benefit passengers of central and western Uttar Pradesh; the Firozpur–Delhi train will be the fastest on its route, giving a fillip to Punjab’s trade and tourism; while the Ernakulam–Bengaluru train will link two of southern India’s major commercial hubs, furthering greater economic cooperation.