NEW DELHI: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, while travelling on the Kolkata Metro on Saturday, interacted with railway staff and passengers and announced that 60 next generation trains would be introduced for the network over the next five years.
The Railway Minister travelled on the Kolkata Metro from Jain Hind Station to Noapara Station, interacting with fellow passengers to gather feedback on Metro services and understand what further improvements were required to enhance the commuter experience.
At the Metro station, he met sanitation workers and commended their efforts in maintaining cleanliness. The Minister also travelled by auto rickshaw from Noapara to the Belgharia Expressway, reflecting the implementation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for fuel conservation and greater use of public transport.
Following these interactions, the Railway Minister met West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and discussed various railway and infrastructure projects, including ongoing development works in the state.
Sources said that during the meeting, the Railway Minister noted that only 28 km of the Kolkata Metro network had been completed over 42 years, while 45 km of Metro lines had been added since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014.
"In the next five years, 60 next generation trains will be introduced for Kolkata Metro. Today, I took the Kolkata Metro. We will revamp the Kolkata Metro," he said.
Speaking about the proposed bullet train services, he said that the planned high speed rail corridors between Delhi and Varanasi, and Varanasi and Siliguri, were aimed at significantly reducing travel times.
"These high speed corridors will connect Siliguri with New Delhi in six hours," the minister claimed.
He also stated that railway projects in West Bengal would receive fresh impetus under a double engine government.
In West Bengal, more than a dozen mega railway projects are at various stages of progress and, with a change in power, the pace of these projects across the state has gained fresh momentum.