PM Modi flags off 4 new Vande Bharat trains from Banaras railway station

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday flagged off four new Vande Bharat Express trains here from the Banaras railway station.

The new Vande Bharat Express trains will operate on the Banaras-Khajuraho, Lucknow-Saharanpur, Firozpur-Delhi and Ernakulam-Bengaluru routes.

The semi-high-speed trains will significantly reduce travel time between major stations, enhance regional mobility, promote tourism and support economic activity across the country, according to an official statement.

The Banaras-Khajuraho Vande Bharat will connect prominent cultural and religious destinations, including Varanasi, Prayagraj and Chitrakoot, officials said.

Addressing a gathering after the launch of the four trains, the prime minister said, ''With so many Vande Bharat trains running and flights arriving from countries across the world, all these developments are now linked to growth. Today, India is also moving rapidly on this path.'' ''Trains like Vande Bharat, Namo Bharat and Amrit Bharat are laying the foundation of a new generation of Indian Railways,'' he said.

Heavy security personnel were deployed for the prime minister's visit to Varanasi. Outside the railway station, a huge cutout of Modi became a centre of attraction for people.

Modi also interacted with children who gathered at the railway station and inside the Varanasi-Khajuraho Vande Bharat Express.

The children shared poems they had written with Modi. Later, in his speech, the PM lavished praise on the kids present at the event, saying that as the MP from Varanasi, he ''felt so proud that my Kashi has such talented children''.

Modi pitched the idea of a kids 'kavi sammelan' (poets' meet) while interacting with a group of children here during the flagging off ceremony of Vande Bharat trains on Saturday.

''The best 8-10 among them will be taken across the country for poetry recitals... As the Member of Parliament from Kashi, I had a very special and pleasant experience today. I heartily congratulate these children,'' Modi said.

''I was just talking to some students inside the Vande Bharat train. I congratulate Ashwini (Vaishnaw) ji. He has started a wonderful tradition.

''Wherever the Vande Bharat train is launched, competitions are held among the children on various subjects -- regarding development, regarding Vande Bharat, pictures imagining a developed India and poems,'' the prime minister said.

UP Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak took part in the launch of Lucknow-Saharanpur Vande Bharat Express virtually.

The Lucknow-Saharanpur Vande Bharat train was given a grand welcome on arrival in Bareilly. UP's Forest and Environment Minister Arun Kumar Saxena, MP Chhatrapal Singh Gangwar and Mayor Umesh Gautam were present at the station.

Officials said the train is expected to cover the journey in approximately 7 hours and 45 minutes, saving nearly 1 hour of travel time.

The Lucknow-Saharanpur Vande Bharat Express will benefit passengers from Lucknow, Sitapur, Shahjahanpur, Bareilly, Moradabad, Bijnor, and Saharanpur while also improving access to the holy city of Haridwar.

By ensuring smoother and faster intercity travel across central and western Uttar Pradesh, Vande Bharat trains will play a key role in enhancing connectivity and regional development, the government said.