MP gets its first Vande Bharat Express as PM flags off Bhopal-Delhi train

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (April 1) flagged off the Bhopal-Delhi Vande Bharat Express, the first train in this category in Madhya Pradesh.

PM Modi flagged off the semi-high-speed train at the Rani Kamalapati railway station in Bhopal on Saturday afternoon. This is reportedly the second-fastest Vande Bharat so far after its New Delhi-Varanasi cousin.

Watch: PM Modi flags off new Vande Bharat express

The train will cover the 700 kilometres between Bhopal and the national capital in seven and a half hours. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had earlier said that this is the 11th Vande Bharat train service in the country.

“Endeavour to transform railways”

Addressing a gathering after the flagging-off ceremony, PM Modi said, “Our endeavour is to transform the railway sector and make travel convenient for citizens.”

#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi interacts with school students and train staff on board Bhopal-New Delhi Vande Bharat train at Rani Kamlapati railway station in Bhopal pic.twitter.com/V0MQVg7pvl

— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2023

The indigenously designed Vande Bharat Express is equipped with state-of-the-art passenger amenities. It will provide faster, comfortable, and convenient travel experience to rail users, boost tourism and promote economic development in the region, it said.

PM Modi, who arrived in Bhopal in the morning, attended the Combined Commanders’ Conference before flagging off the train.

Also read: Vande Bharat trains: All 10 routes, safety features and other details

Assembly elections in the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh are due by the end of this year.

(With agency inputs)