New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off Odisha's first and West Bengal's second Puri-Howrah Vande Bharat train from Puri on Thursday via video conferencing. Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was also be present at the event.
Details about the Howrah-Puri Vande Bharat Express:
- The train will cover the 500 km distance between Howrah and Puri in around 6 hours and 30 minutes, reducing the time by over an hour as compared to the current Shatabdi Express which takes 7 hours and 35 minutes to cover the same distance.
- The train will provide a faster, comfortable and convenient travel experience to rail users, boost tourism and promote economic development in the region.
- The train will have 16 coaches. It will pass through Khordha, Cuttack, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore districts in Odisha and Paschim Medinipur, Purba Medinipur districts in West Bengal.
- The new train will run six days a week except Thursdays. It will depart Howrah at 6.10 am and reach Puri at 12.35 pm. In the return direction, it will leave Puri at 1.50 pm and arrive at Howrah at 8.30 pm.
- As per the reports, the price will be Rs 1,590 for Chair Car and Rs 2,815 for the executive class.
- With Puri being a very popular destination for tourists from West Bengal and its surroundings as both a pilgrimage and a beach resort town, the semi-high-speed train is likely to be an instant hit among travellers.
- This is the second Vande Bharat Express that West Bengal is getting after the one that runs between Howrah and New Jalpaiguri.
- The regular run of the 22895/22896 Howrah-Puri-Howrah Vande Bharat Express will commence from May 20.
PM Modi to dedicate other railway projects worth Rs 8000 crores
Prime Minister Modi also laid the foundation stone and dedicated several railway projects worth more than Rs 8000 crores in Odisha today. The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for redeveloping Puri and Cuttack railway stations so that passengers can get all modern amenities in future. The redeveloped stations will have all modern amenities providing a world-class experience to the rail passengers.
He also dedicated 100 per cent electrification of the rail network in Odisha. This will reduce the operating and maintenance cost and reduce reliance on imported crude oil.
PM Modi dedicated the doubling of the Sambalpur-Titlagarh rail line, a new broad gauge rail line between Angul and Sukinda, the third line connecting Manoharpur-Rourkela-Jharsuguda-Jamga and a new broad-gauge line between Bichhupali and Jhartarbha. These will cater to the increased traffic demands as a result of rapid industrial development in the steel, power & mining sectors in Odisha and will also help ease the pressure on passenger traffic in these rail sections.
'New India is building its own technologies'
Addressing the function through video-conferencing, Modi said new India is building its own technologies and reaching those to the different corners of the country. "The Vande Bharat Express will further strengthen the religious, cultural and spiritual connection between Howrah and Puri," he said.
PM Modi further said that fifteen Vande Bharat trains are operational in the country at present and those are boosting both connectivity and economy.
"There was a time when new technologies and facilities used to remain limited to Delhi or the big cities. But now, India has chosen a new path. This new India is making technologies on its own and reaching those to different corners of the country," he said, referring to the indigenously developed semi-highspeed train. The prime minister said that as the country celebrates the 'Amrit Kaal' of its Independence, it's time to further strengthen its unity. The more India's unity is strengthened, the more its collective capacity will increase," he said.
He also lauded the state for continuing India's developmental streak amid challenges. "Amidst even the most challenging times, India kept its developmental journey intact. The reason behind this has been the participation of all the states, and India's spirit of walking ahead collectively," he said.
PM Modi inaugurates International Museum Expo 2023
Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the International Museum Expo 2023 at Pragati Maidan in the national capital and said his government has prioritised preserving the country's heritage, even as he lamented that enough efforts were not made in this direction post Independence.
PM Modi also flagged the issue of trafficking of ancient Indian art and antiques, and said that with India's increasing prestige in the world, various countries have now started returning things belonging to Indian heritage. Modi said 10 special museums are being built to immortalise the contribution of the tribal community in the country's freedom struggle. The long period of slavery also resulted in the destruction of the country's written and unwritten heritage, Modi noted.
"Unfortunately, the efforts that should have been made post Independence to preserve our heritage, were not made," he said. He also urged people to make preserving historical artifacts their nature. "For example every household must make a family museum in which they preserve things of their ancestors and elders. Schools and institutions should also make their own museums," he said.
PM unveiled mascot of International Museum Expo
During the event, Modi also unveiled the mascot of the International Museum Expo, a graphic novel titled "A day at the Museum", a directory of Indian museums, a pocket map of Kartavya Path, and museum cards.
The mascot of the International Museum Expo is a contemporised version of the dancing girl made of wood in the Chennapatnam art style. The graphic novel portrays a group of children visiting the National Museum where they learn about different career opportunities that are available at a museum.
The pocket map of the Kartavya Path highlights various cultural spaces and institutions and also traces the history of the iconic pathway. The Museums cards are a set of 75 cards with illustrated facades of iconic museums across the country, and is an innovative way to introduce museums to people of all ages and each card holds brief information of museums.
The expo is being organised as part of 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' to celebrate the 47th International Museum Day (IMD), according to an official statement. The IMD theme for this year is "museums, sustainability and well-being".
The expo is designed to initiate a holistic conversation on museums with professionals to enable these to evolve as cultural centres that play a pivotal role in India's cultural diplomacy, it said. During the programme, Modi also inaugurated a virtual walkthrough of the upcoming national museum at North Block and South Block.
(With PTI inputs)
Also Read: Stones pelted at newly launched Vande Bharat train in Kerala
