Rajasthan
Jaipur-Delhi Vande Bharat express train by mid-April, says Rail minister Ashwini Vaishnaw | Jaipur News
JAIPUR: Rail minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said the first Vande Bharat Express between Jaipur and Delhi will be operational by mid-April and Vande Metro trains will connect Jaipur to Dausa, Jaipur to Sikar, Jaipur to Phulera in the next two years.
Vaishnaw, who was here for a lecture on ‘Role of Railways in Infrastructural Development of India’ at National Museum, said the Modi government had electrified 34,000km in the past eight years compared to 30,000 km in 60 years by previous governments.
In an exclusive interview with the Times of India, he talked about his vision, upgradation and modernisation of railways.
On Vande Bharat Express, he said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a vision to cover every corner of the country with these trains. In countries like Japan, Switzerland and France, the frequency of trains is every hour. For these trains, we are also following the same system.”
On arrival of these trains in Rajasthan, he said, “As far as North Western Railway (NWR) and Rajasthan are concerned, they have double stag container trains and therefore we have overhead electric wiring a little above as compared to other regions. We had to change the design. Manufacturing has begun. We are hopeful to roll out first Vande Bharat Express between Jaipur and Delhi by mid-April, or even before. Many other big towns in Rajasthan will also be connected with this train.”
On a query when travel time between Jaipur and Delhi will be reduced, he said, “It will take some time as the curves on this route curtail speed. In next 2-3 years, the curves would be straightened through underpasses and flyovers to ensure the train can reach speed up to 160 km/hour. With the existing infrastructure, we can think of attaining a speed of 130 km/hour.”
For connecting smaller towns with big cities, Vaishnaw said the government will bring Vande Metro trains in 2-3 years. “These would be regional trains with a frequency of 20-30 minutes. There will be trains between Jaipur-Dausa, Jaipur-Phulera, Jaipur-Sikar to connect passengers of smaller towns to big cities. These trains will have a uniform design which we aim to bring in the next two years,” he added.
About revamping railway stations through Amrit Bharat, he said, “Work has begun at 50 stations including seven in Rajasthan. The PM wants that these stations should be designed keeping in mind the needs for the next 50 years. In total, 1,275 stations across the country will get a facelift of which 83 are in Rajasthan for the first phase.”
Vaishnaw, who was here for a lecture on ‘Role of Railways in Infrastructural Development of India’ at National Museum, said the Modi government had electrified 34,000km in the past eight years compared to 30,000 km in 60 years by previous governments.
In an exclusive interview with the Times of India, he talked about his vision, upgradation and modernisation of railways.
On Vande Bharat Express, he said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a vision to cover every corner of the country with these trains. In countries like Japan, Switzerland and France, the frequency of trains is every hour. For these trains, we are also following the same system.”
On arrival of these trains in Rajasthan, he said, “As far as North Western Railway (NWR) and Rajasthan are concerned, they have double stag container trains and therefore we have overhead electric wiring a little above as compared to other regions. We had to change the design. Manufacturing has begun. We are hopeful to roll out first Vande Bharat Express between Jaipur and Delhi by mid-April, or even before. Many other big towns in Rajasthan will also be connected with this train.”
On a query when travel time between Jaipur and Delhi will be reduced, he said, “It will take some time as the curves on this route curtail speed. In next 2-3 years, the curves would be straightened through underpasses and flyovers to ensure the train can reach speed up to 160 km/hour. With the existing infrastructure, we can think of attaining a speed of 130 km/hour.”
For connecting smaller towns with big cities, Vaishnaw said the government will bring Vande Metro trains in 2-3 years. “These would be regional trains with a frequency of 20-30 minutes. There will be trains between Jaipur-Dausa, Jaipur-Phulera, Jaipur-Sikar to connect passengers of smaller towns to big cities. These trains will have a uniform design which we aim to bring in the next two years,” he added.
About revamping railway stations through Amrit Bharat, he said, “Work has begun at 50 stations including seven in Rajasthan. The PM wants that these stations should be designed keeping in mind the needs for the next 50 years. In total, 1,275 stations across the country will get a facelift of which 83 are in Rajasthan for the first phase.”
