Time not far when India's first bullet train will be operational: PM

Inaugurates new Jammu railway division, enhancing connectivity & economic growth in northern India

- SIMONTINI BHATTACHARJEE

Expressing optimism about India's progress in putting high-speed rail transport on track, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that the time is not far for the country's first bullet train to become operational.

His remarks came during a virtual event to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for multiple railway projects across Telangana, Odisha, and Jammu and Kashmir.

Underlining the "rising" demand for high-speed trains from across the country and the sector's "historic transformation" under his government in the past decade, PM Modi said the transformation in rail transport has led to a change in India's image and a boost in people's morale.

In a video message with the chief ministers of Telangana, Odisha, and Jammu and Kashmir, besides other dignitaries, joining the programme from their respective states, he said that people increasingly want to spend less time covering long distances, leading to a rise in the demand for high-speed trains.

More than 136 Vande Bharat trains are running on over 50 routes, he said, referring to a recent trial run in which the train clocked a speed of 180 kilometres per hour.