Vande Bharat Express: PM Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation/lay the foundation stone of about 6000 railway projects worth more than Rs 85,000 crore at a function held in Ahmedabad on March 12. In this, 10 new Vande Bharat trains will also be flagged off.
Vande Bharat Express: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate/lay the foundation stone of about 6000 railway projects worth more than Rs 85,000 crore to the nation on March 12, 2024, at a function to be held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The function will be organized on a large scale i.e. at 764 places across the country. The ceremony will be live streamed on 10,000 digital screens across the stations.
Prime Railway Workshop, Loco Sheds, Pit Lines/Coaching Depot; Laying of foundation stone of Phaltan-Baramati new line and upgradation work of electric traction system and laying of two new sections, New Khurja-Sanehwal section (401 route km) of Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor and New Makarpura-New Gholwad section (244 route km) of Western Dedicated Freight Corridor. ) and will dedicate to the nation the Operation Control Center of Western Dedicated Freight Corridor located in Ahmedabad.
Green flag for 10 new Vande Bharat trains
The Prime Minister will flag off ten new Vande Bharat trains, which also includes Western Railway’s Ahmedabad-Mumbai Central Vande Bharat Express train. The Prime Minister will also flag off the extension of four Vande Bharat trains, out of which the Ahmedabad-Jamnagar Vande Bharat Express will be extended up to Okha. Along with this, the Prime Minister will also flag off two new passenger trains between Asansol and Hatia and Tirupati and Kollam stations.
The Prime Minister will also flag off freight trains on dedicated freight corridors from various places – New Khurja Junction, Sahnewal, New Rewari, New Kishangarh, New Gholwad and New Makarpura.
Opening of 50 PM Jan Aushadhi Centers
The Prime Minister will dedicate 50 Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Centers to the nation at railway stations. These Jan Aushadhi Kendras will provide affordable and quality generic medicines to the people. PMBJKs have been installed at four stations on Western Railway, Ankleshwar, Valsad, Mahesana and Ratlam.
51 Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminal also started
The Prime Minister will also dedicate 51 Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminal to the nation. These terminals will promote seamless movement of goods between different modes of transport. Of these, seven (7) PM Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals will be dedicated on Western Railway. These include Gatishakti cargo terminals at Virochannagar, Becharaji, Wadharwa, Surbari, Liliya Mota, Dahej and Varnama.
The Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation 1045 route km of automatic signaling in 80 sections. This upgrade will increase the safety and efficiency of train operations. The Prime Minister will also dedicate digital controlling of railway stations at 2646 stations to the nation. This will improve the operational efficiency and safety of trains.
35 Rail Coach Restaurant
The Prime Minister will dedicate 35 rail coach restaurants to the nation, including Western Railway’s rail coach restaurants at Andheri and Borivali. Rail coach restaurants aim to cater to the needs of passengers and public besides generating non-fare revenue for the Railways.
More than 1500 One Station One Products
The Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation more than 1500 One Station One Product stalls spread across the country, of which 89 One Station One Product stalls are in Western Railways, including 34 Mumbai suburban stations. These stalls will promote local products and generate income for local artisans and businesses. Through this function, more than 6 lakh Vishwakarmas like carpenters, goldsmiths, blacksmiths, washermen, tailors etc. will directly connect with the PM.
The Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation solar energy powered stations/buildings at 975 places. This initiative will contribute to India’s renewable energy goals and reduce the carbon footprint of Railways.
229 Goods Shed
The Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation 229 goods sheds, out of which six (6) goods sheds are on Western Railways. These include goods sheds in Udhna, Asarwa, Naroda, Radhanpur, Dhosawas and Neemuch. New traffic will be added by installing new good sheds. Indian Railways has so far achieved loading of 1476 million tonnes which is 70 million tonnes more than the previous period. In the last financial year, Western Railway became the first non-coal belt zonal railway to enter the 100 million tonne club by achieving a total loading of over 108 million tonnes. This year too, Western Railways is moving towards crossing the figure of 100 million tonnes of freight loading.
Many other projects like dedication of new electrified sections, doubling of tracks/multi-tracking, development of railway goods shed, workshop, loco shed, pit line/coaching depot will also be inaugurated by the Prime Minister during the programme. These projects are a testament to the government’s dedication towards building a modern and strong railway network. This investment will not only improve connectivity but will also boost economic development and create new employment opportunities.
