Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually flagged off Uttarakhands first Vande Bharat Express connecting Dehradun with Delhi on Thursday.The Union RAILWAY minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami were also present at the inaugural ceremony of the trainin Dehradun.
The PM said in his address that Vande Bharatwill start a new era of comfortable travel experiences, especially for tourists travelling to the State, with world-class amenities.He said that travelling by train remains the first choice for those who are accompanied by their family members and the Vande Bharat is gradually becoming the go-to means of transportation.
He alsoemphasised the importance of connectivity in a mountain state where people from the villages migrate due to a lack of connectivity and added that the government wants to prevent that suffering for the coming generations.
Vande Bharat train is also going to help Uttarakhand to take full advantage of this opportunity”. Vaishnaw said on the launch that Railways used to receive a budget of only Rs 187 crore a decade ago for the development of Railways in Uttarakhand but the location rose under pm Modi upto Rs 5,000 crore for development.