New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday flagged off the Vande Bharat Express train connecting Secunderabad to Visakhapatnam via video conferencing. During the event Modi said that this Vande Bharat Express train will connect shared culture and shared heritage of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Union Tourism Minister, G Krishna Reddy were also present during the event.
"Vande Bharat Train is the symbol of the resolutions & capability of New India. It is a symbol of that India which has started on the path of rapid change - India which is restless for its dreams & aspirations; India which wants to reach its goal swiftly," he said.
Speaking on the occasion of Army Day, the PM said, "It is also the Army Day today. Every Indian is proud of the Army. Indian Army's contribution towards the security of the nation & its borders, its valour is unparalleled."
The train will cover a distance of 700 kilometres and will have stoppages at Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry and Vijayawada stations in Andhra Pradesh and at Khammam, Warangal and Secunderabad stations in Telangana. With this, the total number of Vande Bharat Express trains introduced by Indian Railways will reach eight, while being the first one to connect the two Telugu speaking states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
The indigenously designed train set of Vande Bharat Express is equipped with state-of-the-art passenger amenities and will provide faster, comfortable and convenient travel experience to the rail users, said the Prime Minister’s Office in a statement.
Last month, PM Modi flagged off the Vande Bharat Express connecting Howrah to New Jalpaiguri. He participated in the event through video conferencing after performing the last rites of her mother, Heeraben Modi who passed away the same morning.
In November last year, the Prime Minister flagged off Vande Bharat Express and Bharat Gaurav Kashi Darshan Train at KSR railway station during his visit to Bengaluru.