PM Modi flags off Assam's first Vande Bharat Express from Guwahati to New Jalpaiguri
May 29, 2023Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off Assam's first Vande Bharat Express in Guwahati this afternoon via video conferencing. The train will connect Guwahati with New Jalpaiguri and reduce travel time to 5 hours and 30 minutes. 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 kilometers of newly electrified sections which will open the doors for trains running on electric traction to enter Meghalaya.
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Modi expressed his delight at the accomplishment of major development projects in the Northeast. He elaborated that the Northeast is getting its first Vande Bharat Express today and this is the third Vande Bharat Express that connects West Bengal. He further added, approximately 425 kilometers of railway tracks in Assam and Meghalaya have been electrified.
Mr. Modi emphasized the significance of the Vande Bharat Express, which will strengthen the historic ties between Assam and West Bengal. He also stressed that the impact of Vande Bharat Express on tourism will not only benefit Assam and West Bengal but also Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.
Reflecting on the achievements of the NDA government during its nine years in office, Mr Modi highlighted the significant progress made towards building a new India. He cited the newly inaugurated Parliament House as a symbol connecting India's thousand-year-old democratic history with its prosperous future.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the welfare of the poor has been a top priority for his Government, exemplified by initiatives such as providing housing, toilets, tap water connections, electricity, gas pipelines, and the development of infrastructure including roads, railways, airways, waterways, ports, and mobile connectivity. He underlined that infrastructure development plays a crucial role in improving lives, creating employment opportunities, and fostering overall development. He said, infrastructure development is a true manifestation of social justice and secularism.
During his speech, the Prime Minister announced that all capital cities of the Northeast will soon be connected through a broad gauge network, and investments of one lakh crore rupees are being made for these projects.
Speaking on the occasion, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the Prime Minister's vision of transformation through transportation is bearing fruitful results and rail projects worth 70,000 crore rupees are on the anvil in the region including two bridges over Brahmaputra.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nisith Pramanik also attended the event in Guwahati with other dignitaries.
Most Recent
