Vande Bharat train a vision of new India: Union minister Darshana Jardosh

Surat, Sep 24 (PTI) Vande Bharat train is the vision of new India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to fulfilling the Railways’ pledge to embrace new technology and new speed, Minister of State for Railways Darshana Jardosh said here on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, the prime minister flagged off nine Vande Bharat Express trains via video conferencing, connecting religious and tourist destinations across 11 states.

Jardosh, who was present at Surat railway station, said the launch of Vande Bharat (VB) trains for different destinations, including the one connecting Ahmedabad to Jamnagar, was “a proud moment for the country.”

Vande Bharat train is the vision of new India on how it plans to develop through ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas, she said.

“More than half of the states where the trains were flagged off do not have a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, but Modiji has taken development as his aim and has shown the entire world during the G20 summit that ‘Ek Bharat, Sreshtha Bharat’ is the strength of India moving towards self-reliance with the contribution of youth and women,” she added.

Jardosh said people are thankful to the prime minister for launching the VB train on the Ahmedabad-Jamnagar route besides in other states.

Jardosh, who also holds the textiles portfolio, said Modi is committed to fulfilling the pledge taken by the Indian Railways for embracing new technology and new speed.

“Railway station is like the heart of our prime minister. There is no need to say that he started his life from a (railway) station. But the station is always the heart of a city. There are many stations like the one at Surat that are very old and need a change,” the Union minister added.

As India moves towards becoming a self-reliant nation, youth and women are ready to contribute to achieving this goal, Jardosh said as she hailed the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill by Parliament.

This bill which gives legal rights to women shows the way towards empowerment of women and their contribution to the imagination of new India in 2047.

“Modiji has connected women through the Vishwakarma scheme. There are many such projects and ecosystem of Gati Shakti models to connect all ministries of the Central government to achieve the economy and work to make India a Vishwaguru and the third biggest economy, as it has left behind Britain to become the 5th largest economy,” Jardosh said.

According to Western Railway, regular operation of Ahmedabad-Jamnagar Vande Bharat Superfast Express will start on September 25.

“This train will depart from Ahmedabad at 17.55 hrs and reach Jamnagar at 22.35 hrs on the same day. This train will run six days a week except on Tuesdays. Similarly, the regular operation of Jamnagar-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Superfast Express will start on September 26. This train will depart from Jamnagar at 05.30 hrs and reach Ahmedabad at 10.10 hrs on the same day,” the WR said in a statement.

The Jamnagar-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat train will run six days a week except on Wednesdays.

The train will stop at Sabarmati, Sanand, Viramgam, Surendranagar, Wankaner and Rajkot stations in both directions, it added.