'India moving fast on path of development,' says PM Modi as he flags off four new Vande Bharat trains from Banaras

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said India is moving fast on the path of development, as he flagged off four new Vande Bharat Express trains from the Banaras railway station in Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency.

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Emphasising that infrastructure is a major factor in the economic growth of developed countries around the world, the prime minister said, "In every nation that has achieved major progress, the driving force behind it has been infrastructure development. Infrastructure is not just about big bridges and highways. Whenever such systems are developed anywhere, it sparks the overall development of that region."

"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," he said.

PM Modi said high-speed trains like Vande Bharat are laying the foundation for a "new generation of Indian Railways."

"Trains like Vande Bharat, Namo Bharat and Amrit Bharat are laying the foundation of a new generation of Indian Railways. Vande Bharat is a train of Indians, built by Indians for Indians, of which every Indian is proud," he said.

He claimed that foreign travellers are "amazed" by these trains adding that more than 160 Vande Bharat Express trains are now operational in the country. Modi further said that spiritual tourism has become a major source of income and has ushered in development in Uttar Pradesh.