Tourists and pilgrims are crucial factors that impact the local economy around major religious cities by increasing the livelihood opportunities and income of people and strengthening the local economy.
Better and comfortable connectivity adds to these factors and working towards this, the Union government is focusing on adding new Vande Bharat trains to temple towns across the country.
According to a government official, the new proposed Vande Bharat between Secunderabad and Tirupati is also offering a smooth journey to the pilgrims going to the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate two more Vande Bharat trains on Saturday, one between Secunderabad-Tirupati and another between Chennai and Coimbatore.
So far, 11 Vande Bharats are running across India and at least three of these connect a metro city with a major pilgrimage site. Two of these are from Delhi — one for Varanasi and another for Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra. Another Vande Bharat, flagged off in February, is between Mumbai and Shirdi.
Further, even the Mumbai-Solapur Vande Bharat is facilitating travel to important pilgrimage centers in and around Solapur, including Siddheshwar, Akkalkot, Tuljapur, and Pandharpur. It has also eased the journey towards Alandi near Pune.
Not just railway connectivity but road connectivity is also being improved. The official added that the prime minister will also lay the foundation stone for the construction of road projects of National Highway-744.
“The project will ensure smooth journey for pilgrims visiting some of the most sacred sites in the South, such as Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, Andal Temple in Srivilliputhur and Sabarimala in Kerala,” they added.
The improved connectivity benefits pilgrims and helps local economies by boosting trade, creating jobs, and promoting the growth of ancillary industries like hospitality, handicrafts, and food services.
Currently, of the 11 Vande Bharat, four are from Delhi and three from Mumbai. Four trains are running from Delhi to Varanasi, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, Bhopal and Amb Andaura. Three are running from Mumbai to Gandhinagar, Shirdi and Solapur. Vande Bharat trains are also operational between Chennai-Mysore, Bilaspur-Nagpur, Howrah-New Jalpaiguri, and Secunderabad-Vishakhapatnam.
The prime minister had promised that in the 75 weeks of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, 75 Vande Bharat trains would connect every corner of the country. The first Vande Bharat train was inaugurated in 2019.
Modernised Railway Stations Add Beauty, Comfort
Along with ensuring that the journey is comfortable and beautiful, the government is also making efforts to make sure that the beginning and ending points of the journey — the railway stations — are also offering comfort.
On Saturday, apart from the two Vande Bharats, the prime minister will also lay the foundation stone for the redevelopment of the Secunderabad Railway Station.
“The fact that this isn’t an isolated project but part of the larger vision of the prime minister becomes clear when one observes that in recent times, the PM has dedicated and laid the foundation stone for redevelopment of various key railway stations across the country,” the official added.
Here’s a list of railway stations that the prime minister has inaugurated in the recent past:
July 2021: PM Modi inaugurated the redeveloped Gandhinagar Capital Railway Station
November 2021: PM dedicated to the nation the redeveloped Rani Kamalapati Railway Station in Bhopal
May 2022: PM Modi laid the foundation stone for redevelopment of Chennai Egmore, Rameswaram, Katpadi, Kanniyakumari and Madurai railway stations in Tamil Nadu
June 2022: PM laid the foundation stones for redevelopment of Udhna, Surat, Somnath and Sabarmati railway stations in Gujarat. In the same month, he also laid the foundation stone for redevelopment of Bengaluru Cantt and Yesvantpur stations in Karnataka. Alongside, he also dedicated to the nation India’s first air-conditioned railway station — Sir M Visvesvaraya Railway Station at Baiyappanahalli — which is developed on the lines of a modern airport
July 2022: PM Modi laid the foundation stone for redevelopment of Ranchi railway station in Jharkhand
September 2022: PM laid the foundation stone for redevelopment of Ernakulam, Ernakulam Town and Kollam railway stations in Kerala. In the same month, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi approved redevelopment of New Delhi and Ahmedabad railway stations.
November 2022: PM Modi laid the foundation stone for redevelopment of Vishakhapatanam railway station in Andhra Pradesh
December 2022: PM laid the foundation stones for redevelopment of Nagpur and Ajni (Nagpur) railway stations in Maharashtra and of New Jalpaiguri station in West Bengal
January 2023: PM laid the foundation stone for redevelopment of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Maharashtra
February 2023: PM dedicated the redeveloped Belagavi Railway Station building to the nation in Karnataka
March 2023: PM dedicated the longest railway platform in the world at Shree Siddharoodha Swamiji Hubballi Station
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