Northeast gets its first Vande Bharat Express train; PM Modi says, Guwahati-New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat will boost tourism, enhance connectivity in region
New Delhi, May 29
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off Northeast India’s first Vande Bharat Express in Guwahati this afternoon via video conferencing.
Inaugurating the Guwahati – New Jalpaiguri connecting train, Mr. Modi congratulated the people of Assam and West Bengal.
He stated that infrastructure is for all without discrimination, creating various opportunities including employment, empowerment and improved quality of life. He said that this infrastructure development is a true manifestation of social justice and secularism.
Mr. Modi expressed confidence that this new means of connectivity will further strengthen the age-old bond between Assam and West Bengal. He also emphasized that the impact of Vande Bharat Express on tourism will not only benefit Assam and West Bengal but also Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated a newly constructed Diesel Electric Multiple Unit and Mainline Electric Multiple Unit shed at Lumding in Assam. He dedicated 182 Route kilometres of newly electrified sections which will open the doors for trains running on electric traction to enter Meghalaya.
Meanwhile, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw today stated that in the last nine years, the government has constructed 1,618 kilometers of railway network in Northeast India, despite the region’s complex geography. He made these remarks while briefing the media on the sidelines of the Vande Bharat flag-off event in Guwahati.
Mr. Vaishnaw lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for increasing the railway budget to ten thousand 200 crore rupees for Northeast as compared to two thousand crore rupees before the year 2014.
The Minister informed that a total of 59 railway stations in the northeast are being designed to meet world-class standards. He further added that the railway station in Guwahati will be designed following the Japanese model.
Mr. Vaishnaw also mentioned that over 11,000 sites have been identified for border and unconnected areas, with a fund of 6,800 crore rupees allocated for these projects.