On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first Vande Bharat Express in Rajasthan. The 14th Vande Bharat rail service will operate between Jaipur and Delhi Cantt. Ashok Gehlot, the chief minister of Rajasthan, also attended the event. The Vande Bharat Express is a part of the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative to modernize the railway system.
Rajasthan gets its first Vande Bharat Express today. This will significantly enhance connectivity and boost tourism. https://t.co/TqiCCHWeV9
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 12, 2023
While taking during the event, the PM attacked the opposition by stating that previous administrations exploited the railroads for their own political ends. He asserted how the railways were abused and turned into a political arena following independence.
He slammed Lalu Prasad Yadav, the former minister of railways in the Congress-led UPA government, for the ‘Land for Job Scam.’ The ex-chief minister of Bihar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family are facing allegations of taking land in exchange for railway jobs.
“It was the country’s misfortune that a crucial department like railways, which plays a major role in the life of a common man, was also made an arena of politics. The condition was that there was politics in railway recruitment. By snatching the land of poor people, they were given a job in the railways,” he charged.
The past administrations, according to him, put political considerations ahead of the upgrading of the railways. He criticized them for acting politically self-serving in deciding who would be the railway minister and which train would operate at which stop. He complained that such trains were just announced for political purposes in the budget and were never actually run.
He applauded the present government’s initiatives for modernising the railroads. He noted that beginning in 2014, all circumstances began to alter and the strain of political negotiation was lifted off the railways. He mentioned that the railways have reached new heights and that the revival of Indian Railways has made every Indian proud.
“Rajasthan is getting its first Vande Bharat Express today from Ajmer to Delhi. The Vande Bharat train will boost the tourism industry in Rajasthan. Vande Bharat Express is the first semi-highspeed train that is made in India. It is one of the most compact and efficient trains. It is equipped with a safety system,” he proclaimed.
Vande Bharat Express will start regular service on April 13. It will run from Ajmer to Delhi Cantt, stopping through Jaipur, Alwar, and Gurugram. The train will cover the route between Delhi Cantt. and Ajmer in 5 hours and 15 minutes, per the scheduled timetable.
Get ready to celebrate another addition to the #VandeBharatExpress fleet. Can you guess the route from which it will make its royal run?#VandeBharat pic.twitter.com/QrguM1J90C
— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) April 11, 2023
The indigenously manufactured train is the world’s first semi-high-speed passenger train on high-rise overhead electric (OHE) territory. It will enhance accessibility to popular tourist locations in Rajasthan, such as Pushkar and the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, among other destinations that draw large numbers of people all year long.
