Modi in Varanasi Day 2: PM to launch 2nd ‘saffron’ Vande Bharat, 402 km section of eastern freight corridor today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a two-day visit to his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi. On the first day, he launched a slew of development and infrastructure projects in the city including the launch of the Kanyakumari-Varanasi Tamil Sangamam train and multi-language and braille translations of Thirukkural, Manimekalai and other classic Tamil literature.
The Prime Minister also participated in the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra and took a walkthrough of the stall and visited the Viksit Bharat Yatra Van and Quiz event where he interacted with beneficiaries of various government schemes.
The city will witness another set of inaugurations on the second day of PM Modi’s visit. He will flag off the second Vande Bharat train connection between Varanasi and New Delhi. He will also launch the New Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction to New Bhaupur Junction segment of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) giving a boost to the logistics sector.
Second Varanasi-New Delhi Vande Bharat
The second edition of the advanced semi-high-speed Vande Bharat train will be flagged off today at 2:15 pm. According to the Northern Railway, the second Vande Bharat train will be saffron in colour and has multiple features. “The train has superior passenger amenities such as onboard Wi-Fi infotainment, GPS-based passenger information system, plush interiors, bio-vacuum toilets with touch-free conveniences, diffused LED lighting, charging points beneath every seat, individual touch-based reading lights and concealed roller blinds,” a statement said.
After the flagging off, the rain will subsequently pass through Prayagraj, Kanpur Central, Itawa, Tundla and Aligarh before reaching New Delhi as per the scheduled timings.
The regular operation of the Vande Bharat Express is scheduled to commence on December 20, 2023. Departing from Varanasi at 6:00 AM, the train will reach Prayagraj at 07:34 AM, Kanpur Central at 09:30 AM and finally, New Delhi at 2:05 PM.
The return journey will see the train departing from New Delhi at 3:00 PM, reaching Kanpur Central at 7:12 PM, Prayagraj at 9:15 PM and concluding its journey in Varanasi at 11:05 PM.
402 km eastern dedicated freight corridor
PM Modi will also launch the new Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction to New Bhaupur Junction of the eastern DFC today. This section of the corridor has been built for ₹10,903 crore and is situated on the Delhi-Howrah rail route, passing through districts such as Chandauli, Mirzapur, Prayagraj, Kaushambi, Fatehpur, Kanpur Nagar and Kanpur Dehat in Uttar Pradesh.
The corridor connects the crucial coal fields of West Bengal and Jharkhand including the Eastern Coalfields Limited, Central Coalfields Limited, Bharat Coking Coal Limited to the power plants in north India.
Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra – Village edition
Apart from the launch of development programmes, PM Modi will participate in the village edition of the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra today at 1 pm. At 11:30 am, he will inaugurate the Swarved Mahamandir in Varanasi.
Modi on Sunday – launched Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2.0
PM Modi on Sunday launched the second edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam at the Namo Ghat in Varanasi. The cultural exchange event is a part of the government’s Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Yuva Sangam initiative. He also flagged off the Kashi Tamil Sangamam Express between Varanasi and Kanyakumari.
He also interacted with the beneficiaries of government schemes at the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra event. “If the 140 crore countrymen take a resolve to make the nation developed, then India will surely become ‘Viksit’ by 2047,” he said during the address.