(Dedicates newly electrified sections and newly constructed DEMU/MEMU shed)
BY TTT NEWS NETWORK
KOLKATA, 29 MAY 2023:
PM Narendra Modi has flagged off Assam’s first Vande Bharat Express via video conferencing today. The Vande Bharat Express will connect Guwahati with New Jalpaiguri Guwahati and the journey will take 5 hrs 30 mins. The Prime Minister also dedicated 182 Route kilometers of newly electrified sections and inaugurated a newly constructed DEMU/MEMU shed at Lumding in Assam.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that today is a huge day for the connectivity of the Northeast as three development works are being accomplished together. Firstly, the Prime Minister elaborated, Northeast is getting its first Vande Bharat Express today where this is the third Vande Bharat Express which connects West Bengal. Secondly, approximately 425 kilometers of railway tracks in Assam and Meghalaya have been electrified. And, thirdly, a new DEMU/MEMU shed has been inaugurated in Lumding in Assam. The Prime Minister congratulated the citizens of the entire Northeast along with.
Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal on this momentous occasion.
The Prime Minister said that the Guwahati -New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat train will strengthen the centuries-old ties between Assam and West Bengal. This will increase ease of travel and provide huge benefits to students and will increase job opportunities arising out of tourism and business. He said that this Vande Bharat will provide connectivity to Maa Kamakhya Temple, Kaziranga, Manas National Park, and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary. Furthermore, the Prime Minister pointed out that it will enhance travel and tourism in Shillong, Cherrapunji in Meghalaya and Tawang and Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh.
The Prime Minister said that the biggest beneficiaries of the infrastructure push have been the states of Eastern and Northeastern India. He said that earlier, the people of the Northeast remained deprived of even the basic facilities for decades. He said that a large number of villages and families which did not have electricity, telephone or good rail road air connectivity until 9 years ago were from the Northeast.
Mr. Modi said that he has given the highest priority to Northeast people’s sensitivities and facilities. Now capitals of Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Sikkim are being connected to the rest of the country, “Very soon all capital cities of the Northeast are going to be connected with a broad gauge network”, he said, “One lakh crore rupees are being spent on these projects.”
The Prime Minister credited the pace of development which led to many remote areas of the Northeast being connected with railways. He informed that Nagaland got its second railway station after almost 100 years. Now, the Prime Minister said, Vande Bharat Semi High-speed trains and Tejas Express are running on the same path where once stood a narrow gauge line capable of low speeds. He also mentioned the Vista Dome coaches of the Indian Railways which have become a center of attraction for tourists.
“Indian Railway has become a medium of connecting hearts, societies and opportunities to the people along with speed”, the Prime Minister remarked as he highlighted the first transgender tea stall at Guwahati Railway Station. He stated that it is an attempt to give a life of respect to those who expect better behaviour from society. Under the ‘One Station, One Product’ scheme, the Prime Minister highlighted that stalls have been set up at railway stations in the Northeast which give emphasis to Vocal for Local thereby providing a new market for local artisans, artists, and craftsmen. He also gave the example of Wi-Fi facilities provided at hundreds of stations in the Northeast. “It is only with this combination of sensitivity and speed that Northeast will move forward on the path of progress and pave the way towards a developed India.
Background
The state-of-the-art Vande Bharat Express will provide the people of the region with the means to travel with speed and comfort. It will also boost tourism in the region. Connecting Guwahati with New Jalpaiguri, the train will help save about an hour of journey time, when compared with the current fastest train connecting the two places. Vande Bharat will cover the journey in 5 hrs 30 mins, while the current fastest train takes 6 hrs 30 mins to cover the same journey.
The Prime Minister dedicated 182 Route kilometers of newly electrified sections. This will help provide pollution-free transportation with trains running at higher speeds and reduced running time of trains. It will also open the doors for trains running on electric traction to enter Meghalaya.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated a newly constructed DEMU/MEMU shed at Lumding in Assam. This new facility will be helpful for maintaining DEMU rakes operating in this region, leading to better operational feasibility.
आज Northeast को अपनी पहली Made in India #VandeBharatExpress मिल रही है : प्रधानमंत्री @narendramodi जी
Thanks to our Prime Minister. 🙏
Guwahati-New Jalpaiguri 🚄 pic.twitter.com/tO8HqFs6WB
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) May 29, 2023
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