BENGALURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off South India’s first Vande Bharat Express and Bharat Gaurav Kashi Darshan trains at Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) railway station in Bengaluru on Friday.
Amid a slight drizzle with partly cloudy skies and his fans chanting ‘Modi..Modi’ on Platform 6, the Prime Minister arrived at platform 7 along with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. Before flagging off, he entered Vande Bharat Express and interacted with passengers and loco pilots. He entered the train engine and from there waved at the crowd on the other platform.
He first flagged off Vande Bharat at 10.05 am from Platform 7 and Bharat Gaurav Kashi Darshan train at 10.25 am from platform 8.
He later tweeted, “The Chennai-Mysuru Vande Bharat Express will boost connectivity as well as commercial activities. It will also enhance the ‘ease of living.’ Glad to have flagged off this train from Bengaluru.”
This is the fifth Vande Bharat Express in the country. Passengers travelling in the train were elated with the advanced technology and compared it with trains in other countries. They appreciated the smart technology, touch on/off light buttons, for instance, and said it is a great advancement as compared to older trains.
Modi complimented Karnataka for being the first state to take up the Bharat Gaurav Kashi Yatra train, bringing Kashi closer to Karnataka. “Pilgrims and tourists will be able to visit Kashi, Ayodhya and Prayagraj with ease,” the PM tweeted. The train will offer an eight-day tour package at discounted rates for pilgrims. Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnav and Pralhad Joshi were present.