The time when the first bullet train will run in India is not far, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday as he underlined the "rising" demand for high-speed trains from across the country and the sector's "historic transformation" under his government.
Launching a slew of rail projects, including inauguration of the Jammu division, Modi said the Railways had undergone a historic transformation in the past decade.
It has led to a change in India's image and a boost in people's morale, he said in a video address, with the chief ministers of Telangana, Odisha, and Jammu and Kashmir, besides other dignitaries, joining the programme from their respective states.
People increasingly want to spend less time covering long distances, leading to a rise in the demand for high-speed trains, the prime minister said.
He said more than 136 Vande Bharat trains are plying on over 50 routes, referring to a recent trial run in which the train clocked a speed of 180 kilometres per hour. "The time when the first bullet train will run in India is not far". With Modi launching a number of infrastructure projects in the past few days, he said India maintained a fast pace in connectivity in the new year.
This is a big day in "new-age connectivity" for many parts of the country," he said, speaking about the projects launched on Monday.
The whole country is marching ahead in tandem, and that is what is "sabka sath, sabka vikas", he added.
Modi stated that modernisation of infrastructure, modernising facilities for the passenger, connectivity to all parts of the country, and job and industry development are the thoughts guiding the development in the rail sector.
He also explained the Metro network expansion and changes brought about in the Railways.
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