PM Modi flags off 2 Vande Bharat Express trains from Mumbai, calls them 'reflection of India's speed, scale'

Mumbai, Feb 10: Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off India's most-awaited 9th and 10th Vande Bharat Express train from Mumbai to Shirdi and Solapur on Friday. He also dedicated two road projects to the nation - the Santacruz Chembur Link Road and Kurar underpass project to ease road traffic congestion and streamline the movement of vehicles in Mumbai.

This will be the first blue and white colour train for the Central Railway zone while 2nd and 3rd for Maharashtra. During the event, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, chief minister of Maharastra Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis was also present at the occasion.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Prime Minister said that the operation of the Vande Bharat train will benefit college-going, and office-going people, farmers, and devotees.

''Vande Bharat train is a magnificent picture of today's modern India. It's a reflection of India's speed & scale. You can see the speed with which the country is launching Vande Bharat. 10 trains launched,'' PM Modi said.

''There was a time when MPs used to write letters for arrangements for trains to stop at stations in their areas, for a 1-2 minute stoppage. Now, when the MPs meet, they demand a Vande Bharat in their area. This is the craze of Vande Bharat trains today,'' PM Modi said in Mumbai.

The Prime Minister reiterated the need for improving public transport for 21st-century India as it will lead to massive ease of living for the citizens. This thinking, he pointed out, is behind the launch of modern trains, the expansion of the Metro, and new airports and ports. The Budget also strengthens this thinking as for the first time, 10 lakh crore were allocated exclusively for infrastructure development. In this railway's share is 2.5 lakh crore, he added. The Prime Minister said that the Rail Budget for Maharashtra also witnessed an unprecedented rise and expressed the hope that with the efforts of the double-engine government, connectivity in Maharashtra will move ahead rapidly.

"The middle class has been strengthened in this budget", the Prime Minister said as he underlined that the needs of both the salaried class and those who own businesses have been addressed in this year's budget. He noted that people with an income of more than 2 lakh rupees were taxed before 2014 but it was the present government that initially increased it to 5 lakh rupees and now to 7 lakh rupees in this year's budget. "Those who paid 20% tax in the UPA government pay zero tax today", the Prime Minister remarked. He also highlighted that those with new jobs now have an opportunity to save more.

The Prime Minister expressed confidence that this budget that promotes the spirit of 'Sabka Vikas Sabka Prayas' will give strength to every family and encourage everyone to build a Viksit Bharat, the Prime Minister concluded.

At an event at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in south Mumbai, Modi first flagged off the the CSMT-Solapur Vande Bharat Express and later another semi high-speed train linking the financial capital to Sainagar Shirdi temple town in Ahmednagar district.

The Mumbai-Solapur Vande Bharat Express will cover the 455 km distance between Mumbai and the textile city in 6 hours and 30 minutes, a saving of nearly one hour in current timings.

The Mumbai-Sainagar Shirdi Vande Bharat Express will take 5 hours and 25 minutes to cover the 343 km distance to the temple town.

The one-way fare without catering service on the CSMT-Solapur Vande Bharat train will be Rs 1,000 for chair car and Rs 2,015 for executive chair car, while the fares for the two classes with catering will be Rs 1,300 and Rs 2,365 respectively, a CR official said.

The one-way journey ticket without catering service for CSMT to Sainagar Shirdi will be Rs 840 and Rs 1670 for chair car and executive chair car respectively, while the ticket prices with catering service will be Rs 975 and Rs 1840 respectively.

This is Modi's second visit to the city in less than a month.

On January 19, the PM inaugurated and laid foundation stones for infrastructure and healthcare projects worth more than Rs 38,000 crore in Mumbai. His visit assumes significance in view of the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls.