Leaders earlier sought train halts, now they want Vande Bharat: PM

Jodhpur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday, flagged off the inaugural Jodhpur-Ahmedabad (Sabarmati) Vande Bharat special train service through video conferencing from Gorakhpur. Governor of Rajasthan Kalraj Mishra and CM Ashok Gehlot joined the ceremony through virtual medium. Union Jal Shakti Min Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and other public representatives were present in ceremony organized in Jodhpur.

Addressing the program virtually, PM Modi said, “Vande Bharat train has given a new flight to the middle class of the country for facilities. There was a time when politicians used to write letters to get the train halted at their place. Today people write letters to run Vande Bharat from their area,” Modi said.

Addressing the event, union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said, “All the lines on the Jodhpur route are being electrified. Diesel engines will be phased out in Jodhpur by December 2023. Only electric locomotives will ply.” Shekhawat further said, “In the last 9 years, many works have been done on the railways, in which the works of new lines, doubling and electrification have been done rapidly.” Thanking PM for the operation of Vande Bharat Express, he said, “With the operation of this train, the residents of Jodhpur will get a faster and easier means to go to Ahmedabad, which will boost tourism, and business in this region”.