From faith to development, connectivity to creativity — the Prime Minister says Vande Bharat embodies a modern, confident, and developed India

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday flagged off four new Vande Bharat Express trains from the Varanasi Railway Station, marking a major leap in India’s modern rail connectivity. The Prime Minister personally inaugurated the Varanasi–Khajuraho Vande Bharat Express, while the Delhi–Ferozepur, Lucknow–Saharanpur, and Ernakulam–Bengaluru routes were launched virtually, connecting diverse regions of the country through indigenous high-speed technology.

The ceremony was attended by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, while Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar, Union Ministers Suresh Gopi and George Kurien, Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, and UP Deputy CM Brijesh Pathak joined virtually — underscoring the pan-India impact of the initiative.

Beginning his speech in Bhojpuri, PM Modi greeted the people of Kashi, saying, “After Dev Deepawali, I extend my best wishes to everyone on Kashi’s festival of development.” Emphasizing the importance of infrastructure, he said, “Every developed nation has built its progress on strong connectivity. India, too, is moving rapidly in that direction — expanding its railways, roads, and logistics to script new chapters of growth.”

Highlighting the success of the Vande Bharat initiative, the Prime Minister shared that over 160 Vande Bharat trains are now operational across the country — a testament to India’s engineering excellence and self-reliance. “Built by Indians for Indians, these trains are a source of national pride,” he said, adding that the Vande Bharat, Namo Bharat, and Amrit Bharat trains are laying the foundation for the next generation of Indian Railways.

The Kashi–Khajuraho route, he noted, will make spiritual tourism smoother and faster, connecting sacred cities like Prayagraj, Ayodhya, Haridwar, Chitrakoot, and Kurukshetra — blending faith with development.

PM Modi highlighted how pilgrimage and tourism have transformed Uttar Pradesh’s economy, citing that 11 crore devotees visited Baba Vishwanath Dham last year and 6 crore pilgrims have visited Ayodhya’s Ram Temple since its opening, generating thousands of crores in revenue and creating employment for lakhs.

Speaking on Varanasi’s transformation, the Prime Minister described it as the emerging health capital of Purvanchal, equipped with advanced hospitals, cancer centers, Ayushman Bharat facilities, and Jan Aushadhi Kendras. He added that new infrastructure projects like roads, pipelines, stadiums, and ropeways are making life in Kashi more comfortable and connected.

In a touching gesture, PM Modi lauded the creativity of Kashi’s children who presented poems and artworks on “Viksit Bharat”, promising to hold a poetry conference for them and showcase their talent nationwide.

Concluding his address, the Prime Minister called for maintaining Kashi’s momentum of growth and spirit of energy, saying, “We must sustain this pace to realize the vision of a Viksit Bharat.”

With the launch of these four trains, India takes another significant step toward a future where technology, tradition, and transformation move together on the tracks of development.