Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday said Vande Bharat Express trains have become very popular among travellers ever since the first service was launched in 2019.
He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for starting a new Vande Bharat Express train from Nagpur, his hometown and Lok Sabha constituency in eastern Maharashtra.
The Minister for Road Transport and Highways was addressing a gathering at the flagging off ceremony of the Nagpur-Secunderabad Vande Bharat express, a fully air-conditioned semi-high-speed train offering superior passenger amenities and safety.
It was among half a dozen Vande Bharat Express trains virtually flagged off by PM Modi from Ahmedabad.
Gadkari noted that Vande Bharat trains have become very popular among people ever since the first semi-high-speed train was launched in February 2019.
The senior BJP leader said he had been demanding a Vande Bharat Express train from Nagpur and the Railway ministry has accepted his request, terming it as a big achievement for the city, the second capital of Maharashtra.
Speaking on the occasion, Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan said Modi's vision was to modernize the Railways.
Railway platforms in India are becoming clean like those in Europe and more and more Vande Bharat Express trains, offering upgraded passenger amenities, enhanced speed and safety features, should be started for smooth commuting of passengers, he emphasised.
