Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday virtually flagged off the Tatanagar-Patna Vande Bharat Express train at Tatanagar Junction Railway Station in Jharkhand. In addition to this, five more Vande Bharat Express trains were also launched by the Prime Minister.
The state-of-the-art Vande Bharat Express trains aim to enhance connectivity, boost tourism, and stimulate industrial growth in the region.
The newly introduced trains will run on five routes: Tatanagar – Patna, Bhagalpur – Dumka – Howrah, Brahmapur – Tatanagar, Gaya – Howrah, Deoghar – Varanasi, Rourkela – Howrah.
“These trains will significantly boost religious tourism by offering faster commutes to pilgrimage sites such as Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar (Jharkhand), Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Kalighat, and Belur Math in Kolkata (West Bengal),” a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) noted.
Additionally, key industries, including coal mining in Dhanbad, jute in Kolkata, and iron & steel in Durgapur, are expected to benefit from the improved connectivity.
“The Vande Bharat portfolio is continuously expanding, with new services being added to enhance connectivity,” the PMO statement said.
“Indigenously designed under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, these trains boast cutting-edge features that combine luxury with efficiency, benefiting millions of passengers,” the statement added.
According to Indian Railways, 54 Vande Bharat trains are currently operational across the country. These trains have collectively made 36,000 trips, carrying more than three lakh passengers.
In addition to flagging off the trains, PM Modi also laid the foundation stone for, and dedicated to the nation, various railway projects worth over Rs 660 crore. He also distributed sanction letters to 20,000 beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) in Tatanagar, Jharkhand.