Prime Minister Narendra Modi moment flagged off the Bhopal-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express train, Madhya Pradesh’s first Vande Bharat Express, at the Rani Kamlapati station. The train between Bhopal and the public capital, the country’s 11th Vande Bharat Express, will cover 708 km in 7.45 hours.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, Governor Mangu Bhai Patel, and the railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw were present. The Prime Minister claimed that Vande Bharat is a representation of the recent changes in India and that there is a need for it in every region of the nation.
Taking a jibe at rival Congress, the PM said the grand old party will say “Modi will pull an April Fool’s knavery” during this event, but the Vande Bharat will be flagged off momentarily. “In former governments, they allowed only one family as India’s first family and did not pay any attention to the requirements of the middle-class families of India, Indian railroads are the biggest illustration of this. Indian rail is the common man’s lift. In the last 9 years, we’ve been making sweats to make the Indian road the most stylish in the world,” he said, adding CCTVs have been installed in 900 stations. “Vande Bharat has become a super-hit,” he added.
Onboard the train, the PM interacted with further than 300 schoolchildren who were named through a delineation and essay competition on the theme ‘Bharatiya Rail’, officers said. The prime minister asserted that rail travel is now safer and that the trains are also more reliable and hygienic. “The new Vande Bharat will bring new employment openings and development,” he added. Rs 13,000 crore road budget distributed for Madhya Pradesh railroads, unlike only ₹600 crore road budget distributed before, the PM said. “I’m glad Madhya Pradesh is eschewing the past and moving towards progress,” he remarked.
The Combined Commanders’ Meeting was attended by PM Modi, who arrived in Bhopal early in the day before he signaled the train to depart. Assembly choices in the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Madhya Pradesh are due by the end of this time. Modern passenger facilities are included in the Vande Bharat Express train set, which was developed in-house. It’ll give a brisk, more comfortable, and more accessible trip experience for rail enthusiasts, boost tourism, and promote profitable development in the region.