Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 10 high-speed Vande Bharat trains from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, marking a significant development in the nation’s railway infrastructure and connectivity. The Prime Minister’s visit included laying the foundation stone for various railway and petrochemical projects valued at over Rs 1,06,000 crores.
Among the projects initiated were the construction of Railway Workshops, Loco Sheds, Pit lines/Coaching Depots, the Phaltan-Baramati New line, Electric Traction System upgradation work, and the dedication of two new sections of the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) – the New Khurja to Sahnewal (401 Rkm) section of Eastern DFC and New Makarpura to New Gholvad section (244 Rkm) of Western DFC. Additionally, the Western DFC’s Operation Control Center (OCC) in Ahmedabad was dedicated to the nation.
A landmark day for Indian Railways! Addressing a programme in Ahmedabad. Do watch.https://t.co/z63aIDvWUF
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 12, 2024
Prime Minister Modi also flagged off ten new Vande Bharat trains, introducing enhanced connectivity on routes such as Ahmedabad-Mumbai Central, Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam, Mysuru-Dr MGR Central (Chennai), Patna-Lucknow, New Jalpaiguri-Patna, Puri-Visakhapatnam, Lucknow-Dehradun, Kalaburagi-Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal Bengaluru, Ranchi-Varanasi, and Khajuraho-Delhi (Nizamuddin). Additionally, he extended the routes of four Vande Bharat trains.
Freight trains on the Dedicated Freight Corridor were also flagged off from various locations, including New Khurja Jn, Sahnewal, New Rewari, New Kishangarh, New Gholvad, and New Makarpura. The Prime Minister dedicated 50 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras at railway stations, offering affordable and quality generic medicines.
Furthermore, he dedicated 51 Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminals to promote seamless movement of goods. The Prime Minister inaugurated 1045 Rkm of Automatic Signaling in 80 sections, enhancing safety and efficiency. The nation’s Digital Controlling of Railway stations at 2646 locations was also inaugurated for improved operational efficiency and safety.
Other dedications included 35 Rail Coach Restaurants, over 1500 One Station One Product Stalls promoting local products, and Solar Powered Stations/buildings at 975 locations. Additionally, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the Petrochemicals complex of Petronet LNG in Dahej, Gujarat, with a focus on creating economic opportunities and reducing the carbon footprint.
In a parallel effort, the foundation stone for Ekta Malls in Gujarat and Maharashtra was laid, highlighting their commitment to showcasing India’s rich heritage and supporting traditional skills and sectors. The Ekta malls aim to symbolize unity in diversity and contribute to the development and empowerment of traditional industries.
