MUMBAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off two Vande Bharat trains from Mumbai to Shirdi and Mumbai to Solapur on Friday.
Speak at the flagging-off event held in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), the PM said that Vande Bharat trains were a reflection of India's speed towards becoming 'atamnirbhar '(self-reliant) and 'vikshit '(developed) Bharat.
"India of the 21st century will have to rapidly improve its public transport system. The faster our public transport system becomes modern and improved, the more the ease of living for the people will increase, and their quality of life will see pleasant improvements", the PM asserted.
He also added that as many as 108 districts in 17 states have received faster rail connectivity through the Vande Bharat trains. The latest trains became the ninth and tenth Vande Bharat trains to be launched in the country.
The Mumbai-Solapur Vande Bharat Express will cover the 455 km distance in 6 hours and 30 minutes, while the Mumbai-Sainagar Shirdi Vande Bharat Express will cover the 343 km distance in 5 hours and 25 minutes.
PM Modi also said that the BJP-led NDA government had allocated Rs 13,500 crore to Maharashtra for the wider development of railways and further accused the opposition of neglecting the state's railway infrastructure in their budget allocation.
"Our government is committed to developing mass railway infrastructure in Maharashtra. The Vande Bharat trains, flagged off today, are part of our commitment towards making world-class railway infrastructure available to the people of the country," he said.
The PM said that the Vande Bharat service will also provide a boost to religious tourism and promote the confluence of faith and progress as a seamless mode of transport between commercial and religious places among the public. "As the Vande Bharat train reflects India's speed and scale, it will also boost connectivity on a faster scale," he said.
Recalling the old days, the PM said that there was a time when the MPs used to write letters to rail services and arrangements. "There was a time when MPs used to write letters for arrangements for trains to stop at stations in their areas, for a 1-2 minute stoppage. Now, the MPs demand a Vande Bharat in their area. This is the craze of Vande Bharat trains today," PM Modi said here.
He defined the Vande Bharat train as a magnificent picture of today's modern India. "Now, people can see the speed with which the country is launching Vande Bharat. 10 trains launched so far," he said.
The Modi government plans to roll out as many as 75 Vande Bharat trains on different routes by August 15 this year, while the remaining Vande Bharat trains (out of a total of 400) are expected to be rolled out in the next few years.
Meanwhile, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told the media that the second version of the Vande Bharat train is highly improved in terms of having modern facilities with sharper acceleration pick of O-100kmph in 52 seconds and 160kmph in 129 seconds.
He added that each train weighs 430 tonnes and is equipped with safety, anti-collision devices and an ultra modem air purification system in every coach to kill airborne bacteria.
Vaishnaw said the Mumbai -Shirdi Vande Bharat train will provide reach-connectivity en route to Nashik, Tarambkeshwar, Tuljapur and many famous pilgrimage places. He also added that the work to develop the CSMT into an international standard will begin soon.