PM Modi slams past govts: Real work to change Rlys started after 2014

He said: “India of the 21st century can prosper even faster by modernising its infrastructure. Parties in power for a long time earlier did not realise this. Their focus was on indulging in scams and corruption. They could not get out of the constraints of dynastic politics. They also made tall claims about high-speed trains but years went by and nothing happened.”

Locals at the Dehradun railway station during the flag-off ceremony of the Delhi-Dehradun Vande Bharat Express train. (PTI)

Modi also recalled his three-nation tour — of Japan, Papua New Guinea, and Australia — and said the world is now looking at India with high hopes. “India has become a ray of hope for the world when it comes to strengthening the economy and fighting poverty,” he said and spoke about India’s tackling of the Covid-19 pandemic and the world’s largest vaccination campaign carried out in the country.

Claiming that only one-third of Indian Railways’ network had been electrified by 2014, making it impossible to “even think of” a fast-running train, he said work began on the country’s first high-speed train in full swing only after 2014. He said only about 600 km of tracks were electrified on average annually before 2014, which has now increased to nearly 6,000 km annually.

“Today, more than 90% of the country’s railway network has been electrified. In Uttarakhand, 100% electrification of the railway network has been achieved,” he said.

Modi credited this development work to “right intention, policy, and dedication”. He emphasized that a state such as Uttarakhand, with bountiful natural beauty, should make the most of today’s situation when people from around the world want to come to India and emphasised that the Vande Bharat train will help the state in taking full advantage of this.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav at the launch of first Dehradun-Delhi Vande Bharat train. (Express Photo)

This is the first Vande Bharat Express to be introduced in Uttarakhand, and is set to cover the distance between Dehradun and Delhi in four-and-half hours.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, “Every child of Uttarakhand dreams of seeing a train in the mountains. That dream is coming true. Work on the Rishikesh-Karnprayag railway line is progressing at a fast pace, and under the Prime Minister’s vision work is being done to connect remote areas of Uttarakhand with the mainstream of development through roads, trains, helicopter and ropeway services.

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said that the PM has an “emotional connect with Devbhoomi Uttarakhand” and under “his guidance, work is being done on many big projects in the state with the help of the Central government”.