Page 20 - NIS English 01-15 February, 2025

COVER STORY
RAILWAYS' TRANSFORMATION

city, or a mythological city, Vande Bharat
connectivity is being ensured in all the cities so INDIAN RAILWAYS
that along with increasing trade, tourism, culture,
and heritage can also be preserved. On 15 February ACHIEVING NEW
2019, Prime Minister Modi started the first Vande
Bharat train between New Delhi and Varanasi.
The indigenously built Vande Bharat train is the PEAK OF SPEED
country's first semi-high-speed train, which runs
at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour. High-speed
connectivity saves time and also accelerates the
pace of development in the country. That's why the Previously the
speed of the
work of connecting cities through new waterways 31,000
and air connectivity along with waterways is going
on very fast in the country. Indian Railways is also km track was 110
km per hour or
rapidly adapting to a modern avatar. This is also more in the year
increasing ease of traffic, saving time and creating 2014.
employment opportunities. Now
In the changing India, it is very important that the the speed of the
standard of living of all the countrymen improves 80,000
and the quality of life becomes better. People
should breathe good air, garbage heaps should be
removed, there should be good means of transport,
and there should be good educational institutions km railway track is
for studies and better medical facilities. Today the 110 km per hour or
Government of India is giving special emphasis to more.
all these. Also, the amount India is spending on
public transport today has never been as much in
the country before. Amidst this atmosphere full
of confidence, the India of Amrit Kaal is working
together on its present and future needs. The PM
Gati Shakti National Master Plan has been prepared
to ensure coordination among all stakeholders
from planning to implementation of infrastructure.
Keeping in mind the skills as per the need of the
railways, the country's first Gatishakti University
has also been established.
A new logistics policy has been implemented to
reduce the cost of transportation in the country and
to minimize the cost of export. Emphasis is being
laid on multimodal connectivity so that one mode
of transport in the country supports the other.
The main aim of all these efforts is to increase trains are not punctual in India have been changed. Goods
the ease of travel for the citizens of India and trains that used to run at an average speed of 25 km are now
save their valuable time. The Vande Bharat trains, running at a speed of 90 km per hour.
with a speed of 160 km per hour, is a reflection
of this sentiment. The speed of trains has not SPEED AND SCALE FOR EASE OF TRAVEL
only increased, but the common perception that The way Indian Railways is being transformed is a symbol

18 NEW INDIA SAMACHAR | February 1-15, 2025