PM Modi has given a new generation of trains, says Ashwini Vaishnaw

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Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday toured the Vande Bharat Express to be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday. Preparations are also underway at the KSR Railway Station ahead of the PM's visit, as he will flag off three Vande Bharat Express trains at KSR Railway Station in Bengaluru.

Speaking to ANI, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, "It's a matter of great happiness that a long-pending demand for Vande Bharat between Belagavi and Bengaluru will be flagged off by PM Modi tomorrow. This will provide very good connectivity to North Karnataka and Bengaluru, which is the IT capital of the country. Two more trains will be flagged off. One which connects Katra Vaishno Devi to Amritsar. Again, this is very important train because there is lot of movement between pilgrims who come from one place to the other. Third is between Nagpur and Pune. These two are very large industrial and technological hubs, and there is a lot of demand for movement between Pune and Nagpur."

Vaishnaw praised PM Modi for launching many Amrit Bharat Express trains. He said, "In recent times, PM Modi has launched many Amrit Bharat trains. Amrit Bharat Express trains are trains which are providing a very good affordable service to the people with low income and lower middle income families. Almost all the features of Vande Bharat trains are there in the Amrit Bharat express trains and the fare is very very low. This is proving to be a very big success for a people to go for in search for livelihood to distant cities." 

While praising Namo Bharat trains, he said, "Namo Bharat train has also become very successful, both the trains running are highly appreciated by passengers. Now we are taking large-scale production of Namo Bharat, Amrit Bharat and Vande Bharat trains."

Vaishnaw also added that the Vande Bharat Sleeper will probably be launched by September. He said, "The Vande Bharat sleeper is also about to be launched. Probably by September, we should get the Vande Bharat sleeper also ready. So in a way, PM Modi has given us a totally new generation of railway trains."

PM Modi will visit Karnataka on Sunday (August 10) and will inaugurate and lay foundation stones of several developmental projects in the state.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, PM Modi will flag off three Vande Bharat Express trains at KSR Railway Station in Bengaluru at around 11 am. Thereafter, he will flag off the Yellow line of Bangalore metro and undertake a metro ride from RV Road (Ragigudda) to Electronic City metro station. At around 1 pm, the Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of urban connectivity projects in Bengaluru. He will also address a public function.

The Prime Minister will inaugurate the Yellow line from RV Road (Ragigudda) to Bommasandra of the Bangalore Metro Phase-2 project, having a route length of over 19 km with 16 stations worth around Rs 7,160 crore. With the opening of this yellow line, the operational metro network in Bengaluru will increase to over 96 km, serving a large population in the region. 

The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of the Bangalore Metro Phase-3 project worth over Rs 15,610 crore. The total route length of the project will be more than 44 km with 31 elevated stations. This infrastructure project will address the growing transportation needs of the city, catering to residential, industrial, commercial and educational areas.

PM Modi will also flag off three Vande Bharat Express trains from Bengaluru. It includes trains from Bengaluru to Belagavi, Amritsar to Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Nagpur (Ajni) to Pune. These high-speed trains will significantly enhance regional connectivity, reduce travel time and provide a world-class travel experience to the passengers.