nPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday virtually inaugurated a slew of railway projects, including the Jammu railway division, the Charlapalli terminal station in Telangana, besides laying foundation for the Rayagada railway division building in Odisha under the East Coast Railway zone.

Lauding the country’s fast-paced progress in connectivity, the prime minister said since the beginning of 2025, India has been accelerating its initiatives with its metro rail network expanding to over 1,000 kilometres.  He also mentioned the recent inauguration of the Namo Bharat train in Delhi-NCR along with the launch of Delhi Metro projects.

Today’s event is a further testimony to the fact that the entire nation is moving forward together, step by step, as projects launched in Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha and Telangana mark a major leap in modern connectivity for the north, east and southern regions of the country, he said.

He also reiterated that the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ is helping turn the vision of a developed India into reality while congratulating the people of these states and all citizens of India on the new developments.

According to Modi, all these initiatives are generating millions of new employment opportunities in the railway sector. Keeping in mind the special skills related to the railways, the country’s first Gati-Shakti University has also been established, he added.

Highlighting the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail line, he said that Jammu and Kashmir is achieving new milestones in railway infrastructure. The Railway Board appointed E Srinivas as the first Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of the Jammu Rail Division soon after its inauguration by PM.

According to the prime minister, the completion of the Chenab bridge, the world’s highest railway arch bridge in J-K, will play a key role in connecting the region with the rest of India, providing convenience to the people of Leh-Ladakh. “The Chenab bridge and the Anji Khad bridge are unparalleled examples of engineering leading to economic progress in the region and promoting prosperity,” he said.

Laying foundation for the divisional railway manager (DRM) building for the Rayagada division in Odisha, Modi highlighted the state’s abundant natural resources and a large coastline, which, according to him, hold significant potentials for international trade.