PM Modi approves north corridor of bullet train project linking Delhi to Guwahati

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Saturday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the north corridor of the bullet train project, which is expected to transform the lives of many people.

Vaishnaw emphasised that the construction work for the bullet train, from pillar to girder, will be made in India. “The construction is progressing rapidly. It will be fully ‘Make in India’, built by the youth and welders of India,” he said.

Speaking before flagging off the new Vande Bharat Sleeper Express services between Varanasi and New Delhi from here, Vaishnaw said, “The prime minister has approved the north corridor of the bullet train, which will change the lives of many. The vision for the bullet train shared by the prime minister will greatly benefit the youth, the middle-income group, and artisans in small-scale industries. People will remember Prime Minister Modi for the next 100 years for this initiative.”

He detailed the north corridor’s route, which will connect Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Patna, Siliguri, and extend to Guwahati.

Travel time between major cities to come down

According to Vaishnaw, travel times will be significantly reduced: the journey from Delhi to Kanpur will take 1 hour and 45 minutes, from Delhi to Agra will take 59 minutes, and from Delhi to Lucknow will take 2 hours and 12 minutes. Additionally, the trip from Lucknow to Varanasi will take 1 hour and 21 minutes, while Varanasi to Delhi will take 3 hours and 35 minutes.

Vaishnaw targets previous railway budgets in UP

Vaishnaw criticised the Congress and the Samajwadi Party over the previous railway budget allocated to the state.

“To those who are today politically challenging the BJP, I would like to ask: When the Samajwadi Party was in power in the state and the Congress was in power at the Centre, how much of a budget did they allocate to UP? When the SP was in power at the state, and the Congress at the Centre, the budget for the railways in UP was only Rs 1,000 crore for a state that is larger than some countries.”

He accused the Samajwadi Party and Congress of committing injustice against the state. “These 2 ‘ladke’ (an apparent reference to Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav) used to commit injustice to UP,” he said, adding that after the formation of the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, justice was done to UP.

“After Yogi Adityanath became the chief minister of UP, the budget has increased significantly; it has doubled, tripled, and then increased by 18 times. Today, UP is receiving a budget of Rs 20,000 crore,” the Union minister noted.

10 MEMU services to be launched in Varanasi

Vaishnav further informed that 10 MEMU (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) services are being launched in Varanasi.

“As you are all aware, when cities expand, there arises a need for new modes of transport to facilitate travel from one end to the other. That is why the prime minister took the initiative to introduce new MEMU services in Banaras. These services are commencing today.

Covering locations such as Banaras City, Banaras Cantt, Banaras Station and Rajatalab, these MEMU services will operate throughout the day across the city. This will prove to be a significant convenience for the youth of Banaras, as well as for small-scale traders, travellers arriving from distant places, and the many pilgrims and devotees visiting the city,” he said.

Additionally, a MEMU service is being launched to connect Varanasi with Prayagraj. This route will run from Prayagraj Rambagh station, passing through Jhusi, Handia Khas, Gyanpur Road, Madhosingh, and Rajatalab before reaching Banaras.

This MEMU service will also operate daily. In total, 10 such MEMU services are being launched today, he stated.

Kolkata-Guwahati Vande Bharat Sleeper draws praise

Vaishnaw also mentioned the popularity of the Kolkata-Guwahati Vande Bharat Sleeper train, noting, “Some of our critics travelled in it. Eurostar, which is considered to be Europe’s best, and the BBC, which are our critics, sent reporters to find loopholes. But they praised us and made videos.”