PM Modi flags off six Vande Bharat Express trains in poll-bound Jharkhand

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday flagged off six new Vande Bharat Express trains and laid the foundation stone and dedicate to the nation various Railway Projects worth more than Rs 660 crores in poll bound Jharkhand. 

As per earlier schedule, the PM supposed to flag off Tatanagar-Patna Vande Bharat train at Tatanagar Junction Railway Station, in Jamshedpur and lay foundation stone and dedicate to the nation various Railway Projects worth more than Rs. 660 crores. However, the PM landed at Ranchi and not able to travel in helicopter to Jamshedpur due to inclement weather. Jharkhand has been receiving incessant rains for the past two days. So the PM flagged off the trains virtually from Raj Bhavan at Ranchi. 

The PM flagged off six Vande Bharat trains connecting following routes - Tatanagar – Patna, Bhagalpur - Dumka - Howrah, Brahmapur - Tatanagar, Gaya - Howrah, Deoghar – Varanasi, Rourkela - Howrah. 

These trains expected to boost religious tourism in the region by providing faster mode of commute to the pilgrimage sites like Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar (Jharkhand), Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Kalighat, Belur Math in Kolkata (West Bengal) etc.

Apart from this, Coal Mines industries in Dhanbad, Jute industries in Kolkata, Iron & Steel allied industries in Durgapur will also get a major boost, said a statement from the railways. 

According to the Railways, as of now with a fleet of 54 trains and 108 services, Vande Bharat has completed a total of around 36,000 trips and carried over 3.17 crore passengers.  The Railways has plans for introducing Vande Bharat Sleeper train for which the trial run will commence shortly. The first prototype of the new service is almost ready.

The PM laid the foundation stone for Madhupur Bye pass line in Deoghar district and Hazaribag Town Coaching Depot in Hazaribag district of Jharkhand. After completion, Madhupur Bypass line will facilitate in avoiding detention of trains on Howrah-Delhi mainline and will also help in reducing travel time between Giridih and Jasidih and Hazaribag Town Coaching Depot will help in facilitating maintenance of coaching stocks at this station, the statement said. 

The PM  also dedicated to the nation Kurkura-Kanaroan doubling  which is a part of Bondamunda-Ranchi single line section and part of Rourkela-Gomoh route via Ranchi, Muri and Chandrapura stations.

The project will help in the increased mobility of Goods and Passenger traffic considerably. Apart from this, 04 Road under bridges(RUBs) shall also be dedicated to the nation for enhancing safety to common people.