Ayodhya: Modi launches 2 Amrit Bharat, 6 Vande Bharat trains
What's the story
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off two new Amrit Bharat Express trains and six new Vande Bharat Express trains from the revamped Ayodhya Dham Railway Station in Uttar Pradesh. Before launching the trains, he inaugurated the overhauled railway station in Ayodhya, redeveloped for Rs. 240 crore. Moreover, the state-of-the-art railway station has been certified by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) as a green station building.
Context
Why does this story matter?
PM Modi is in Ayodhya on Saturday, just three weeks before the much-awaited January 22 consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir set to be headlined by him. Reports said he would launch projects worth Rs. 15,700 crore in Ayodhya on Saturday. The Ram Mandir and Ayodhya development rank high on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) campaign pledges for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. These initiatives are also key for UP's BJP "double engine" government under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's leadership.
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Check details of new Vande Bharat, Amrit Bharat trains
One of the two new Amrit Bharat trains will run as Malda Town-Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminus (Bengaluru) Amrit Bharat Express. The other will be called the Darbhanga-Ayodhya-Anand Vihar Terminal (Delhi) Amrit Bharat Express. The Vande Bharat trains include Amritsar-Delhi Vande Bharat Express, Coimbatore-Bengaluru Cantonment Vande Bharat Express, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express, Mangalore-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express; Ayodhya-Anand Vihar Terminal (Delhi) Vande Bharat Express, and Jalna-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express.
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Visuals of PM flagging off new express trains in Ayodhya
#WATCH | Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh: PM Narendra Modi flags off two new Amrit Bharat trains and six new Vande Bharat Trains. pic.twitter.com/Q1aDQc8wG7
— ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2023
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Everything to know about Amrit Bharat Express trains
The Amrit Bharat Express trains are a new class of superfast passenger trains with Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches featuring push-pull technology. However, this train comes with non-air-conditioned (AC) coaches. While the Amrit Bharat trains have locos at both ends for better acceleration, they also provide improved passenger facilities like enhanced luggage racks, better seats, CCTV cameras, LED lights, and a public information system, among others.
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3 rail projects worth Rs. 2,300 crore announced
On the other hand, PM Modi also dedicated to the country three railway projects worth Rs. 2,300 crore to strengthen the region's rail infrastructure. These included the Jaunpur-Tulsi Nagar, Akbarpur-Ayodhya, Sohawal-Patranga, and Safdarganj-Rasauli sections of the Jaunpur-Ayodhya-Barabanki doubling project and the Rooma Chakeri-Chanderi third line project. Furthermore, the doubling and electrification projects of the Malhaur-Daliganj Railway Section are part of it.
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Modi inaugurates Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham
The prime minister also inaugurated the newly built Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham, constructed at a cost of over Rs. 1,450 crore, on Saturday afternoon. The airport's terminal spreads over 6,500 square meters and can serve nearly 10 lakh flyers annually. It also features a temple city-inspired design, as several parts of the Ayodhya airport are decked with colorful murals depicting different scenes of the Ramayana and Lord Ram's life.
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Here's PM Modi inaugurating new Ayodhya airport
#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham, in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh pic.twitter.com/6phB4mRMY5
— ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2023