Committed to make rail travel comfortable for all: PM Modi

New Delhi, Aug 31 (PTI) The railways has made big strides in addressing long-standing issues and will not stop till it becomes a guarantee of comfortable travel for all sections of society, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday.

Flagging off three new Vande Bharat Express trains via videoconferencing, Modi said the nation was inching towards the goal of Viksit Bharat with modernisation and expansion of Vande Bharat trains.

The three trains flagged off by the prime minister connect Meerut with Lucknow, Madurai with Bengaluru, and Chennai with Nagercoil.

“Through its hard work over the years, the railways has made big strides in addressing long-standing issues and offered new hopes and solutions. We will not stop until the Indian Railways becomes a guarantee of comfortable travel for everyone,” Modi said.

The prime minister’s remarks came against the backdrop of railway accidents that prompted the opposition to question the government’s track record on rail safety.

Modi said modern rail infrastructure was a strong pillar of the vision of Viksit Bharat.

He said more than Rs 2.5 lakh crore was allocated to the railways in this year’s budget and the government was connecting Indian Railways with high-tech services to transform its old image.

The prime minister underlined that the rapid development of southern states was imperative to accomplish the goal of Viksit Bharat.

“Southern India is the land of immense talent, resources and opportunities,” he said, adding that the development of Tamil Nadu, along with the entire southern India, was the government’s priority.

He said the development journey of the railways was an example of the government’s commitment.

Modi said more than Rs 6,000 crore was allocated for Tamil Nadu’s rail budget this year, seven times more than in 2014.

Similarly, a budget of more than Rs 7,000 crore was allocated for Karnataka in this year’s budget, which was nine times higher than in 2014.

Eight Vande Bharat trains are connecting different parts of Karnataka, he added.

The prime minister drew parallels from budgets of the past and said the multiple-fold increase in allocations further strengthened rail traffic in southern states, including Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

He said railway tracks were being improved, electrification of tracks taking place, and stations modernised.

The Meerut City-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express will help passengers save around an hour compared to the current fastest train between the two cities.

The Chennai Egmore-Nagercoil Vande Bharat Express and the Madurai-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express will cut down travel time by more than two hours and around one-and-a-half hours, respectively.

The prime minister said while the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) has helped connect Meerut with New Delhi, the distance to Lucknow has also been reduced with the introduction of the Vande Bharat Express.

“The National Capital Region (NCR) is becoming an example of how PM Gatishakti’s vision will change the country’s infrastructure with modern trains, network of expressways, and expansion of air services,” Modi said.

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, her Tamil Nadu counterpart RN Ravi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, among others, were virtually present on the occasion.