Sleep in Varanasi at night, wake up in Delhi in the morning: Ashwini Vaishnaw on launch of Vande Bharat Sleeper train

Varanasi, Oct 31 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flagged off the country's second sleeper Vande Bharat Express from Varanasi station on Saturday. A MEMU train also departed from Varanasi Junction for Rajatalab.

The Railway Minister stated that ten MEMU services and the second sleeper Vande Bharat Express are commencing today. The Railway Minister stated that special attention has been paid to the convenience of passengers, loco pilots, and other staff on the Vande Bharat Sleeper Train. Separate berths have been provided for staff on the train, and modern facilities have been developed for boarding the berths. He added that passengers will be able to sleep in Varanasi at night and wake up in Delhi in the morning.

Vaishnaw stated that with the expansion of cities, it is necessary to develop new transportation systems. In response, a MEMU service is being launched between Varanasi City and Rajatalab. This service will prove useful for the youth of Kashi, businessmen, and tourists. The second MEMU service will connect Prayagraj and Varanasi. This train will run daily between Rambagh station and Varanasi. He informed that the monthly MEMU train ticket between Varanasi and Rajatalab has been fixed at Rs95 for youth, allowing them to travel comfortably for the entire month. Meanwhile, the monthly ticket for students between Prayagraj and Varanasi will be Rs220.

Vaishnaw said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the Northern Corridor of the Bullet Train. This corridor will connect Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, and Ayodhya. It will be further extended to Guwahati via Varanasi and Patna. He said that this project will bring a major change in the lives of the people of the country. This change will be remembered for years to come for the dreams of the youth, the middle class, and the common citizens.

The Railway Minister said that with the operation of the Bullet Train, the distance from Delhi to Agra can be covered in 59 minutes, while the distance from Delhi to Lucknow can be covered in two hours and 12 minutes. Similarly, the journey from Varanasi to Delhi will take three hours and 33 minutes. He said this will eliminate the need for passengers to take flights. He said that work is progressing rapidly under the Make in India initiative, from the design to the construction of the bullet train.

Taking aim at opposition parties, Vaishnaw said that when the Samajwadi Party was in power in Uttar Pradesh and the Congress was in power at the Centre, the state received a mere Rs1,000 crore budget for railways. He alleged that both parties had done injustice to Uttar Pradesh. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the state now receives a Rs20,000 crore budget for railways. He said that only the BJP and the NDA can protect the interests of youth, women, and businesspeople and accelerate development projects.

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