PM Modi flagged off 5 new Vande Bharat Express in Bhopal

Bhopal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently flagged off five new Vande Bharat Express trains from Bhopal's Rani Kamlapati Railway Station. The trains are named Rani Kamlapati-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. These trains aim to enhance connectivity in the poll-bound states of Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Bihar, and Jharkhand. Currently, there are a total of 23 semi-high-speed Vande Bharat Express trains operating across the country.

During the inauguration ceremony on Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi interacted with school students on one of the trains. The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Governor Mangubhai C. Patel were also present. This marked Prime Minister Modi's sixth visit to the state in the past nine months, as the Assembly Election in Madhya Pradesh is approaching. However, due to heavy rainfall, a planned roadshow in Bhopal had to be canceled.

The Rani Kamlapati-Indore Vande Bharat Express covers a distance of 248 km (one way) in approximately 3 hours, with stops at Sehore, Sujalpur, Maksi, and Ujjain. It aims to provide convenient and fast travel between the two important cities of Madhya Pradesh and improve connectivity to cultural, tourist, and religious sites in the region.

On the other hand, the Rani Kamalapati-Jabalpur Vande Bharat Express covers a distance of 331 km (one way) in approximately 4-4.30 hours, with stops at Obaidullahganj, Narmadapuram, Itarsi, Piparia, Gadarwara, Narsinghpur, and Sridham. This train aims to connect the Mahakaushal Region (Jabalpur) with the Central Region (Bhopal) of Madhya Pradesh and benefit tourist destinations in the area.

The Ranchi-Patna Vande Bharat Express will be the first Vande Bharat Express for Jharkhand and Bihar, enhancing connectivity between Patna and Ranchi. It is expected to benefit tourists, students, and businessmen traveling between the two cities.

The Dharwad-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express will connect the important cities of Dharwad and Hubballi in Karnataka with the state capital Bengaluru. This train will greatly benefit tourists, students, industrialists, and others in the region.

The Goa (Madgaon)-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express will be Goa's first Vande Bharat Express. It will operate between Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Goa's Madgaon station, promoting tourism in both Goa and Maharashtra.

Prime Minister Modi has been actively visiting Madhya Pradesh since September of the previous year. His visits included releasing cheetahs in Kuno, inaugurating the Mahakal Corridor, attending the Pravasi Bharatiya Sammelan, flagging off the Bhopal-Delhi Vande Bharat Express, and participating in a farmers' rally at Rewa. Political analysts believe that Modi's visits to Madhya Pradesh will help create a positive atmosphere for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the upcoming Assembly Election.