Railways launch new projects ahead of LS polls

Ahead of Lok Sabha polls, Indian Railways is launching series of projects and flagging of new trains across the country.

The national transporter, which has approved over 500 new stoppages for trains in various places for the past four and a half years, launching a series of projects for the past one months.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Ministers of State for Railways Manoj Sinha and Rajen Gohain have been travelling across the country to launch new projects like doubling, new lines, electrification, flagging of new trains, opening modern stations, foot over bridges.

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Since railway is a popular mode of transport in the country, launching new programmes is always attract more attention from the public as well as media, says an official in the Railways.

The Lok Sabha polls date is likely to be announced by end of this week and elections likely to be held in April - May.

Though previous Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu prefers to hold launching new railways projects or flagging of new trains through video conference sitting in Delhi, current Railway Minister Piyush Goyal visiting various states to launch projects.

The Prime Minister who launched renovated railway station at Manduadih in his constituency in Varanasi, also launched Vande Bharat Express, indigenously developed high-speed train in much fanfare.

The Prime Minister also launched several railway projects in Uttar Pradesh, Ahmedabad and Assam as well as for the past two months.

In Karnataka alone, the railways have been launching a number of projects, including new line, gauge conversion, foot over bridges.

Some of the new train launched in Karnataka include an extension of Kachiguda-Bengaluru train to Mysuru, Yeshwanthpur to Nizamuddin via Kolar, Bangarpet, Humsafar train between Patna to Banasawadi, Kamakya-Yeshwanthpur and Yeshwanthpur-Mangalore Central tri-weekly train.