by: Nav Jeevan

PM flags off new Vande Bharat Express, Ahmedabad Metro rail project

  • Today is a big day for India of 21st century, urban connectivity and Aatmnirbhar Bharat: Modi
  • India of the 21st century is going to get new momentum from the cities of the country: PM
  • For the first time a 32-km long stretch has been operationalised in one go in the history of Metro in the country: Modi
  • Metro service will be thrown open for public on Sunday-Gandhi Jayanthi
  • India of 21st century considers speed to be a critical factor and guarantee of expeditious development

NE NEWS SERVICE

AHMEDABAD, SEP 30

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Phase-I of Ahmedabad Metro project at a public function at the Ahmedabad Education Society in Ahmedabad. The Prime Minister also flagged off the Ahmedabad Metro rail project and took a metro ride from Kalupur station to Doordarshan Kendra metro station. The Prime Minister flagged off Gandhinagar- Mumbai Vande Bharat Express at Gandhinagar station and travelled on the train from there to Kalupur Railway Station on Friday.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that today is a big day for India of 21st century, urban connectivity and Aatmnirbhar Bharat. He expressed his delight in the ride that he undertook in Vande Bharat Train and Ahmedabad Metro.

The Prime Minister praised the sound-proofing inside the Vande Bharat Express where the sound was reduced to a hundredth when compared to what is experienced inside an airline. On a personal note, the Prime Minister thanked the people of Ahmedabad for a huge turnout and in a light-hearted manner, recounted the wisdom and calculation of Ahmedabad commuters. “I cannot salute Ahmedabad enough, today, Ahmedabad has won my heart”, a visibly moved Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister remarked that India of the 21st century is going to get new momentum from the cities of the country. “With the changing times, it is necessary to continuously modernise our cities with the changing needs”, Shri Modi  said. He pointed out that the system of transport in the city should be modern and should have seamless connectivity where one mode of transport supports the other. In pursuant to this thinking huge investment is being made in the urban infrastructure. In the last 8 years, in more than two dozen cities either Metro has started or work is in an advanced stage. Dozens of smaller cities have been connected via air connectivity and UDAN scheme.  Similarly, Railways stations are undergoing transformation.

“Today, Gandhinagar Railway Station is no less than any airport in the world”, he said. He also mentioned the government’s decision to modernise Ahmedabad Railway Station.

Citing the success of Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar, the Prime Minister elaborated on the success of twin-city development concept. He said that many twin cities like Anand-Nadiad, Bharuch-Ankaleshwar, Valsad and Vapi, Surat and Navsari, Vadodara – Halol Kalol, Morvi-Wankaner and Mehsana-Kadi are going to further strengthen Gujarat’s identity.

Metro service will be thrown open for public on Gandhi Jayanthi

The Prime said that this is for the first time a 32 km long stretch has been operationalised in one go in the history of Metro in the country. He also noted the fast completion of the project despite the challenge of constructing Metro track over railway line.

The Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project is a monumental boost to multimodal infrastructure connectivity. Phase-I of the Ahmedabad Metro project comprises about 32 km of the East-West corridor from Apparel Park to Thaltej and the North-South corridor between Motera to Gyaspur. The Thaltej-Vastral route in the East-West corridor has 17 stations. This corridor also has a 6.6 km underground section with four stations. The 19 km North-South corridor that connects Gyaspur to Motera Stadium has 15 stations. The entire Phase 1 project is built at a cost of more than ₹12,900 crores.

Ahmedabad Metro is a massive state of art infrastructure project involving underground tunnels, viaducts & bridges, elevated and underground station buildings, ballastless rail tracks and driverless train operation compliant rolling stock etc. The metro train set is equipped with an energy-efficient propulsion system which can save about 30-35% of energy consumption. The train has a state of art suspension system providing a very smooth riding experience to passengers.

Special ride for media between Doordarshan & Kalupur Metro Stations

During a special ride for the media between Doordarshan and Kalupur Metro Stations on Saturday evening, a senior railway official said, “To woo the Amdavadis towards using Metro services, two-wheeler and four-wheeler parking facility has been set up in some major metro stations. Also a high-level team is studying the feasibility of acquiring private lands in and around the metro stations to extend this facility.”

Vande Bharat Express

Talking about the Vande Bharat Express, the Prime Minister pointed out that the journey between the two big cities of Ahmedabad and Mumbai will become comfortable while also reduce the distance. The Prime Minister further added that an express train takes roughly seven to eight hours to complete the journey from Ahmedabad to Mumbai, whereas a Shatabdi train takes six and half to seven hours. On the other hand, the Vande Bharat Express will take a maximum of five and a half hours to complete the journey from Gandhinagar to Mumbai, the Prime Minister remarked. The Prime Minister also highlighted that Vande Bharat Express can accommodate more passengers than other trains. The Prime Minister also recounted his interaction with the technicians and engineers who designed and made the Vande Bharat Coaches and expressed his admiration for their initiative and confidence.