'World Wants To Come To India To See India': PM Modi During Dehradun-Delhi Vande Bharat Launch

PM Modi virtually flagged off the first Vande Bharat Express train running between Dehradun and Delhi through video conferencing.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Source : PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday virtually flagged off the first Vande Bharat Express train running between Dehradun and Delhi through video conferencing. During the event, PM Modi said that the world is watching India with great hope and the world wants to come to India to see and understand its essence. 

"India is being watched with great hope. The world wants to come to India to see India, and to understand the essence of India, in such a situation there are excellent opportunities for states like Uttarakhand. Vande Bharat train is also going to help Uttarakhand in taking full advantage of this opportunity," PM Modi said, as quoted by the news agency ANI.

India is being watched with great hope. The world wants to come to India to see India, and to understand the essence of India, in such a situation there are excellent opportunities for states like Uttarakhand. Vande Bharat train is also going to help Uttarakhand in taking full… pic.twitter.com/NcFLZOfk6b

— ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2023

Speaking about the Vande Bharat train, PM Modi said that it will connect the capital of the country at a faster pace and reduce the travel time between Delhi and Dehradun. "This Vande Bharat Express train running between Delhi and Dehradun will connect the capital of the country at a faster pace. With this train, the travel time between Delhi and Dehradun will be considerably reduced. The facilities in the train are going to make this journey enjoyable," PM Modi said.

The commercial services will begin on May 29. The inaugural run will depart from Dehradun at 11 AM on Thursday. The Vande Bharat train, which connects Delhi and Dehradun, takes just 4 hours and 45 minutes to travel between the two cities.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually flags off the inaugural run of Uttarakhand's first semi-high speed Vande Bharat Express train connecting Dehradun with New Delhi in Dehradun. pic.twitter.com/896YzX4jZu

— ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2023

However, according to recent reports, commercial operations on the route will begin on May 29. According to an official statement issued on Tuesday, the eight-coach Delhi-Dehradun Vande Bharat Express will stop in Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Roorkee, and Haridwar. When regular services resume, the Dehradun-Delhi Vande Bharat Express will leave Dehradun at 7 AM and arrive at Anand Vihar Terminal at 11.45 AM.

The return journey will begin at 5.50 PM, with the train arriving in Dehradun at 10.35 PM. The 22457/22458 train will stop in both directions at Haridwar, Roorkee, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, and Meerut City stations. Previously, the Dehradun Jan Shatabdi Express was the fastest train on this route, covering the five-hour and fifty-minute journey from New Delhi railway station to Dehradun.

The chair car fare from Delhi cost Rs 535. In comparison, the Shatabdi Express from Delhi took six hours and ten minutes, with chair car tickets costing Rs 805 and executive class tickets costing Rs 1,405 per person. This will be the first Vande Bharat train in Uttarakhand and the sixth in Delhi, bringing the total number of Vande Bharat trains in India to 17.

On May 18, PM Modi used video conferencing to launch the Vande Bharat Express between Puri and Howrah. The ultramodern semi-high-speed train is outfitted with cutting-edge passenger amenities. Following the launch of Odisha's first Vande Bharat train, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that PM Modi has set a target for Vande Bharat to reach nearly all states by June of this year.