Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated four new Vande Bharat Express trains from Varanasi, underlining the transformative role of infrastructure in India’s development. Speaking at the ceremony, the Prime Minister emphasised the wider impact of connectivity on regional growth.

He said, “Infrastructure has played an important role in the development of most nations… The development of a city begins on its own as soon as it gets better connectivity… Infrastructure is not limited to huge bridges and highways.” He added that projects such as airports and high-speed trains are closely linked to India’s overall growth story.

“In developed countries around the world, a major reason for economic development has been their infrastructure. In all the countries that have experienced significant development, a major driving force behind their progress has been infrastructure development,” he stated.

Vande Bharat foundation for next generation of India Railways: PM Modi

Highlighting the role of Indian Railways reforms, PM Modi noted that trains like Vande Bharat, Namo Bharat, and Amrit Bharat are setting the foundation for the next generation of Indian Railways. “Today, trains like Vande Bharat, Namo Bharat, and Amrit Bharat are laying the foundation for the next generation of Indian Railways. This is a complete exercise to transform Indian Railways. Vande Bharat is a train made by Indians, for Indians, and by Indians, something every Indian is proud of. Now even foreign tourists are amazed to see the Vande Bharat trains,” he said.

The Prime Minister further pointed out that better connectivity can spur automatic development in regions. “If an area lacks a railway line for a long time, but as soon as a railway track is laid there, that city automatically starts developing. The development of a city begins on its own as soon as it gets better connectivity… Infrastructure is not limited to huge bridges and highways… The number of airports built, the number of Vande Bharat trains running – all these things are linked to development, and today India is also moving very rapidly on this path,” he added.

Four new Vande Bharat trains to foster nationwide connectivity

The four new Vande Bharat Express trains will operate on the Banaras-Khajuraho, Firozpur-Delhi, Lucknow-Saharanpur, and Ernakulam-Bengaluru routes. “In this series, today new Vande Bharat trains are being inaugurated in different parts of the country. Apart from the Kashi-Khajuraho Vande Bharat, the Firozpur-Delhi, Lucknow-Saharanpur, and Ernakulam-Bangalore Vande Bharat trains were also flagged off.

With these four new Vande Bharat trains, more than 160 Vande Bharat trains are now operating in the country. I congratulate the people of Kashi and all the citizens of the country on this,” he said.