PM Modi flags off Guwahati-NJP Vande Bharat Express

Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually flagged off North East's first Vande Bharat Express from Guwahati to New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal on Monday. This is the 18th train in the series.

The prime minister symbolically waved a green flag on the screen to launch the train from Guwahati station, where Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma were present.

The Vande Bharat Express will boost tourism, education, trade and employment opportunities in the North East, the prime minister said on the occasion.

The semi-high-speed train between Guwahati and New Jalpaiguri will further strengthen connectivity between Assam and West Bengal.

The Guwahati- New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express will cover the journey in 5 hours 30 minutes, while the current fastest train takes 6 hours 30 minutes to cover the same distance.

The prime minister also dedicated a 182-km route of newly electrified sections to the nation and inaugurated a DEMU/MEMU shed at Lumding in Assam.

Speaking to the reporters, Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, "By June, all states where electrification of routes has been done, will have the semi-high speed service."

"Before 2014, the allocation for the railways for the northeast was Rs 2,000 crore, but, under the Modi government, it has increased to Rs 10,200 crore, helping expedite projects in the region," he said.

These indigenously manufactured trains are being prepped to replace Shatabdis, Rajdhanis and local trains.

Earlier, during the launch of the Dehradun-Delhi Vande Bharat, Minister Vaishnaw said there would be three versions of Vande Bharat trains -- Vande Chair Car, Vande Metro and Vande Sleepers -- by February-March.

Inputs from PTI