75 Vande Bharat trains to connect different parts of country in 75 weeks of 'Amrit Mahotsav': PM Modi

75 'Vande Bharat' trains will connect different parts of country in 75 weeks to mark the 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' being observed

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday announced that the new 75 'Vande Bharat', ultra-modern trains, will be launched by August 15, 2023.

Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of 75th Independence Day, he said "The country has resolved that 75 Vande Bharat trains will be connecting every corner of the country in 75 weeks of Amrit Mahotsav of Independence."

At present, two Vande Bharat, the indigenous semi-high speed train sets, are being operated in the country. The first Vande Bharat Express operates between Varanasi and New Delhi while the second Vande Bharat Express operates between Katra and New Delhi.

The Indian Railways is gearing to roll out at least 10 of them, linking around 40 cities, by August 2022.

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Hyderabad-based engineering firm Medha, which in February secured the contract to supply the electrical systems for 44 Vande Bharat trains, has now been told to advance its production plan so that at least two prototypes can be rolled out by next March following all trials.

Talking about boosting rail connectivity in the northeast region, the PM said, "Very soon the job of connecting the capital cities of the northeastern states by rail will be completed."

As of today, except Sikkim, all northeastern states are connected to the rail network. The capital cities of Assam, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh are already connected, while the work to link the capital cities of Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya is underway.

Keeping coronavirus-induced delays in mind, officials said that connectivity to the region will be achieved by 2024.