Varanasi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that economic growth in countries across the world is deeply linked to progress in infrastructure. India is moving on this path at a very fast pace. In this series, new Vande Bharat trains are being started in different parts of the country today. Vande Bharat is a train built by Indians, by Indians, for Indians. Every Indian is proud of this.
Prime Minister Modi said this in his address after flagging off four Vande Bharat trains from platform number eight of Banaras (Manduwadih) railway station in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi. The Prime Minister said that trains like Vande Bharat, Namo Bharat and Amrit Bharat are laying the foundation for the next generation of Indian Railways. This is a campaign to transform Indian Railways.
He said that in India, for centuries, pilgrimages have been called the medium of national consciousness. Such journeys are not just a way to see God, but a sacred tradition that connects the soul of India. Countless pilgrimage places like Prayagraj, Ayodhya, Haridwar, Chitrakoot, Kurukshetra are the centers of our spiritual stream. Today, when these holy places are being connected to the network of Vande Bharat, in a way the work of connecting India’s culture, faith and development has also been done. This is an important step towards making Indian heritage cities symbols of the country’s development.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said a city’s development begins naturally when it gets better connectivity and infrastructure extends beyond just grand bridges and highways. This approach underlines the importance of the newly introduced Vande Bharat trains in enhancing regional mobility, economic activity and overall growth.
He said that health services are continuously increasing in Kashi. Last 10-11 years ago, it was difficult to treat any serious disease. People had only one option, BHU. People could not get a bed even after standing whole night in the hospital. People were worried about treatment when they had a serious disease like cancer. To address all the concerns of the people of Kashi, many hospitals including Mahamana Cancer Hospital have been built. Due to this, the poor are getting benefits due to Ayushman Bharat and Jan Aushadhi Kendra for Purvanchal and surrounding states.
As usual, Prime Minister Modi started his address in Bhojpuri. He said, “Let us see what a wonderful event is being organized on Dev Diwali. Today is a very auspicious day. We wish you all the best on the occasion of this development festival. Before this, Prime Minister Modi flagged off four Vande Bharat trains. Vande Bharat running from Banaras to Khajuraho was flagged off. After this, he also virtually inaugurated the Lucknow-Saharanpur, Firozpur-Delhi and Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express in South India. On reaching Banaras Railway Station, the Prime Minister was warmly welcomed by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Varanasi gets the eighth Vande Bharat, Prime Minister Modi shows the green flag
Varanasi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi this morning flagged off four Vande Bharat trains from platform number eight of Banaras (Manduwadih) railway station in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi and flagged off Vande Bharat running from Banaras to Khajuraho. This is the 8th Vande Bharat to be awarded to Varanasi. The new Vande Bharat Express trains will run on Banaras-Khajuraho, Lucknow-Saharanpur, Ferozepur-Delhi and Ernakulam-Bengaluru routes. By significantly reducing travel time between major destinations, these trains will enhance regional mobility, enhance tourism and boost economic activity across the country.
Among these, Banaras-Khajuraho Vande Bharat Express will provide direct connectivity. Vande Bharat Express will save about 2 hours 40 minutes as compared to the existing special trains. This train will connect major religious and cultural centers like Varanasi, Prayagraj and Chitrakoot. Similarly, Lucknow-Saharanpur Vande Bharat Express will cover the distance from Lucknow to Saharanpur in approximately 7:45 minutes. This will benefit the passengers of Lucknow, Sitapur, Shahjahanpur, Bareilly, Moradabad, Bijnor and Saharanpur. Through this, the journey to Haridwar via Roorkee will also become easier. Firozpur-Delhi Vande Bharat Express will be the fastest train on its route. Through this, connectivity between Delhi and major cities of Punjab like Bathinda and Patiala will be strengthened. Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express will reach Bengaluru from Ernakulam in 8 hours 40 minutes. This will save more than 2 hours of time for passengers.
Before reaching the station, Prime Minister Modi was welcomed by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav. As soon as the Prime Minister flagged off the Vande Bharat trains, the passengers made the complex echo with chants of Har Har Mahadev. According to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, the environment inside Semi High Speed ​​Vande Bharat is 99.9 percent pure. The rake of T-18 (Vande Bharat) is being made more advanced and convenient in the Integrated Coach Factory. This new feature will have many state-of-the-art features. He said that interest in traveling in Vande Bharat Express is increasing among people.
Vande Bharat going to Khajuraho has 520 school children, media persons and other guests on board. The catering arrangements during the journey have been made by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). Due to Prime Minister Modi’s program, some trains have been re-scheduled at Banaras station. In these, information about rescheduling of Banaras-Dehradun Janata Express, Banaras-LTT Superfast Express, Banaras-Maa Belha Devi Dham Pratapgarh and Banaras-Prayagraj Rambagh MEMU trains has been given on National Train Inquiry System (NTES).