Howrah: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off Vande Bharat, a superfast train connecting Kolkata and NJP, the gateway of North Bengal, virtually in presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnav and several others.
The flagship train of Indian Railways, the first for Bengal, chugged off exactly 1140 hours from the platform No 22 after bereaved Modi waved the green flag virtually from Ahmedabad.
Modi has cancelled his Kolkata visit following his mother Heeraben’s demise but did not cancel his official scheduled programmes, including presiding over the Ganga Council meeting at the Indian Navy headquarters at INS Netaji Subhas Dock in the city.
PM said Vande Bharat which chugged off from Howrah was a part of the country’s Gati Shakti projects of some 475 such trains to move around India for easing connectivity.
PM also unveiled the Joka-Taratala Metro project, a part of the Joka-BBD Bagh of Rs 5000 crore under the railway budget.
Joka and Taratala metro, a part of south Kolkata, is presently connecting six stations to cover within 20 minutes with a minimum fare of Rs 5.
The Howrah-New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express, to be operational from January 1 for the commuters, will depart from Howrah station at 6 AM to reach New Jalpaiguri at 1.30 PM.
After a halt of 1 hour at the New Jalpaiguri station, the Vande Bharat Express train will depart at 2.30 PM for Howrah and reach the station by 10 PM on the same day.
The Vande Bharat Express will have fewer halts at Bolpur, New Farakka Jn, Malda Town, Barsoi Junction, and Kishanganj before terminating at NJP.
