PM Modi flags off 3 new Vande Bharat Express trains
What's the story
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday flagged off three new Vande Bharat Express trains and inaugurated the Yellow Line of Bengaluru Metro. The trains will run on the routes Bengaluru-Belagavi, Amritsar-Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, and Nagpur (Ajni)-Pune. The Prime Minister flagged off the Bengaluru-Belagavi train at KSR Railway Station, while the other two were launched virtually.
Information
Bengaluru-Belagavi train to cover 611km in about 8.5 hours
The Bengaluru-Belagavi Vande Bharat Express is Karnataka's 11th such service. It will cover a distance of 611km in about eight-and-a-half hours, according to railway officials. The inauguration was attended by Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Metro expansion
Bengaluru Metro's Yellow Line also inaugurated
Along with the train services, PM Modi also inaugurated Bengaluru Metro's Yellow Line. The construction of this line cost an estimated ₹7,160 crore and spans over 19km with 16 stations. With this addition, the total length of Bengaluru Metro has now increased to 96km. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for Phase-3 of the metro project, which will cover over 44km with 31 elevated stations at a cost of ₹15,610 crore.