Time when the first bullet train will run in India is not far: PM Modi

The time when the first bullet train will run in India is not far, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday as he underlined the "rising" demand for high-speed trains from across the country and the sector's "historic transformation" under his government.

Launching a slew of rail projects, including inauguration of the Jammu division, Modi said the Railways had undergone a historic transformation in the past decade.

It has led to a change in India's image and a boost in people's morale, he said in a video address, with the chief ministers of Telangana, Odisha, and Jammu and Kashmir, besides other dignitaries, joining the programme from their respective states.

People increasingly want to spend less time covering long distances, leading to a rise in the demand for high-speed trains, the prime minister said.

More than 136 Vande Bharat trains are running on over 50 routes, he said, referring to a recent trial run in which the train clocked a speed of 180 kilometres per hour. "The time when the first bullet train will run in India is not far."  With Modi launching a number of infrastructure projects in the past few days, he said India maintained a fast pace in connectivity in the new year.

It is a big day in "new-age connectivity" for many parts of the country, he said of the projects launched on Monday.

The entire country is moving forward in lockstep, and this is what is "sabka sath, sabka vikas", he added.

Modi asserted that the modernisation of infrastructure, providing modern amenities to passengers, boosting connectivity to all parts of the country, and supporting employment and industry were the ideas guiding the development in the rail sector.

He also gave details of the expansion of the Metro network and changes brought in the Railways.